Social associations and alcohol consumption in an Australian community sample: An egocentric social network analysis.
Alex Myles Thomas RussellLauren MondsNerilee HingJeremy KrollAlex M RussellHannah B ThornePublished in: Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors (2023)
Alcohol may serve to initiate social connections and be a "social glue" that reinforces relationships. These strong social associations present a potential barrier to individuals who wish to reduce their alcohol consumption because they have few close social connections who do not drink alcohol (or who do so infrequently), and their highly interconnected social networks make it difficult to socialize only with those who do not drink frequently. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).