Alcohol-related problems and life satisfaction predict motivation to change among mandated college students

Addict Behav. 2014 Apr;39(4):811-7. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.01.001. Epub 2014 Jan 18.

Abstract

The present study investigated the role specific types of alcohol-related problems and life satisfaction play in predicting motivation to change alcohol use. Participants were 548 college students mandated to complete a brief intervention following an alcohol-related policy violation. Using hierarchical multiple regression, we tested for the presence of interaction and quadratic effects on baseline data collected prior to the intervention. A significant interaction indicated that the relationship between a respondent's personal consequences and his/her motivation to change differs depending upon the level of concurrent social consequences. Additionally quadratic effects for abuse/dependence symptoms and life satisfaction were found. The quadratic probes suggest that abuse/dependence symptoms and poor life satisfaction are both positively associated with motivation to change for a majority of the sample; however, the nature of these relationships changes for participants with more extreme scores. Results support the utility of using a multidimensional measure of alcohol related problems and assessing non-linear relationships when assessing predictors of motivation to change. The results also suggest that the best strategies for increasing motivation may vary depending on the types of alcohol-related problems and level of life satisfaction the student is experiencing and highlight potential directions for future research.

Keywords: Alcohol; College students; Life satisfaction; Motivation to change.

MeSH terms

  • Alcohol-Related Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Alcohol-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mandatory Programs
  • Models, Psychological
  • Motivation*
  • Personal Satisfaction*
  • Quality of Life*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Social Problems / psychology
  • Social Problems / statistics & numerical data
  • Students / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires