The objectives of this continuing longitudinal study of an occupationally-diverse cohort are: 1) to address the extent to which sexual harassment (SH) and generalized workplace harassment (GWH) most powerfully predict deleterious drinking outcomes when experienced in combination with macro-level traumatic stressors (terrorism-related fears and experiences), normative life-course stressors (loss of work and interpersonal relationships), and earlier childhood traumas, 2) to address the protective effects of mental health services, modes of coping and social supports in mitigating the alcohol-related consequences of stressors, and 3) to depict vulnerability (personality) and mediating (psychological distress) factors in the linkages between stressors and drinking outcomes. Participants in our ongoing study [n=1,654 at wave 4; expected n at wave 5 =1581] will be re-surveyed at waves 6, 7, and 8, each one year apart. Mail surveys will assess recent SH/GWH experiences, fears of terrorism, loss of work roles and loss of significant others, childhood traumas personality vulnerability, distress [depression, anxiety, hostility, PTSD], coping, social supports, health/mental health service utilization, and use and abuse of alcohol and other substances. A variety of multivariate statistics and in depth interviews will be utilized to depict changes over time in work and nonwork cumulative stressors, protective and vulnerability factors, and alcohol-related outcomes. Major goals are 1) to clarify how cumulative adversity impacts on drinking over time, 2) to identify support and mental health service providers who may best prevent the self-medication of distress with alcohol and other substances and 3) to clarify processes by which vulnerable individuals obtain effective interventions.
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