Drinking like a “macho man:” An assessment of the impact of masculinity on the relationship between depression and alcohol use in white and Latino men

Risky and problematic drinking is commonplace in college, especially in college men. Depression and alcohol use are often found to be strongly associated; those with higher depressive symptoms have higher rates of problem drinking and alcohol use disorders. The self-medication hypothesis provides a possible explanation of this phenomenon, describing how some may use the mind-altering effects of alcohol to reduce negative affect. Research has also shown that men are at higher risk for problem drinking than women. Many things may contribute to this including masculinity which encompasses several characteristics including aggression, risk-taking, and emotional control. These features are also seen in the concept of “machismo” which describes masculine features in Latino men. Latinos are at much greater risk for alcohol related consequences. Many factors may play a role in this such as machismo and minority stress. Experiences of prejudice and minority stress may lead to higher levels of depressive symptoms and alcohol use. While many alcohol use interventions exist, it is still important to continue to improve the effectiveness of these treatments and to further assess who may be at higher levels of risk for problem drinking. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between depression and alcohol use while considering the factors of masculinity and minority stress. It was predicted that there would be a significant positive correlation between depression and alcohol use, which would be moderated by masculinity, and minority stress. It was also hypothesized that with alcohol use as the dependent variable, there would be a three way interaction of depression, masculinity and minority stress. Data was collected from a West Texas university with a high Latino population resulting in a sample of 280 participants (33.1% Latino). A significant positive correlation was found between depression and alcohol use. This relationship was not moderated by either depression or minority stress. Findings were not indicative of a three-way interaction. Potential implications and future directions are discussed.