Existing research indicated that while the Tension Reduction Theory of Alcoholism seemed relevant to the etiology of the disorder in adolescence, the exact nature of its contribution to teen drinking remained to be determined. In an effort to contribute to better understanding the nature of tension reduction and its influence on teen drinking, this study examined five explanations which the existing literature supported as relevant to adolescent drinking behavior. These reasons postulated that adolescent alcohol use and abuse were due to: (1) interpersonal frustrations and anxieties; (2) tension-reduction; (3) peer pressure; (4) conflict at school; and (5) conflict at home. In addition to examining for the contribution of each of these factors to teen drinking, the study also explored whether psychological distress was a stronger contributor to adolescent alcohol drinking frequency than was general stress.
Sample subjects consisted of 80 tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders selected from four large LASUD high schools. Selection was random and counterbalanced for grade level, school, and students' gender. all subjects were required to complete several test instruments. These were: (1) the SCL-90-R, a standardized instrument measuring psychological distress; (2) the A-State anxiety scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a standardized measure of stress, and (3) the Alcohol Drinking Questionnaire, a researcher-designed instrument assessing diverse measures of alcohol drinking frequency as well as the five selected explanations for teen drinking.
All collected data were analyzed for relationships between drinking frequency, psychological distress, stress, and the five stated reasons for drinking frequency. All relationships were assessed using the Pearson r correlation statistic. In general findings showed that:
(1) Somatization, Interpersonal-sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation, number o
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