Mental Health Risks Between Positively and Negatively Reinforced Alcohol Intake

Sterio, Callum (2025) Mental Health Risks Between Positively and Negatively Reinforced Alcohol Intake. Undergraduate thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

Aims: The goal of the current study is to further outline the drinking motives (Cooper, 1994) behind positively and negatively reinforced alcohol intake and if these motives have an effect on the individual’s mental health risks such as depression, anxiety or stress.

Method: A questionnaire was completed online by participants (n=105) assessing their levels of positive and negative reinforcing behaviours associated with alcohol, using a scale by Cho and colleagues (2019) and their symptoms of mental health risk, using the DASS-21 scale. Demographic questions were included to fulfil hypotheses within the study.

Result: Significant findings were found associating negatively reinforced alcohol with mental health risks (r=0.208). Anxiety was the only symptom to have significant findings, being associated with both positive (r= 0.245) and negative (r= 0.205) reinforcement.

Conclusion: Findings do outline the potential mental health risks associated with negatively reinforced alcohol intake more so than positive. Further research would be improved through the use of a longitudinal design to causality opposed to correlation.

Item Type:	Thesis (Undergraduate)
Supervisors:	Name Email Cullen, Brendan UNSPECIFIED
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Specific Industries > Food Industry > Beverage industry R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA790 Mental Health B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology > Stress (Psychology)
Divisions:	School of Business (- 2025) > BA (Honours) in Psychology
Depositing User:	Ciara O'Brien
Date Deposited:	11 Nov 2025 15:11
Last Modified:	11 Nov 2025 15:11
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/8918

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