An examination of social skills, social support, and consuming alcohol to cope

Coping drinking motives have been consistently associated with the development of alcohol-related problems. Grounded in the social skills deficit vulnerability model, this research examined the role social skills and social support play in coping drinking motives (i.e. drinking alcohol to cope with stressful life events). We collected data from 176 participants and found that social skills were positively directly related to social support, and in turn, social support was negatively associated with coping drinking motives. The indirect effect of social skills on coping drinking motives through social support was also significant. Overall, this research highlights the role of social skills and social support on problematic coping behavior and alcohol-related issues. We discuss both the practical and theoretical implications of these findings.