Perceived Parental Rejection Has an Indirect Effect on Young Women’s Drinking to Cope

While it has been documented that perceived parental rejection is associated with the use of alcohol, it has not been documented if perceived parental rejection is associated with drinking motives, or self-perceived reasons for drinking alcohol. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine if, among young women specifically, perceived parental rejection has an indirect effect, via negative self-esteem, on the drinking motives of coping, enhancement, and sociability. Ninety-five female young adults (M age = 21.15) completed an online questionnaire that included measures of perceived maternal and paternal rejection, negative self-esteem, and drinking motives. The results revealed that higher levels of both perceived maternal rejection and paternal rejection had indirect effects, via more negative self-esteem, on the decision to drink alcohol as a means of coping, but not as a means of enhancement or sociability. These findings suggest that, among young women, higher levels of perceived parental rejection extend to the drinking motive of coping, specifically.