Men and women handle negative situations differently, study suggests

Men drink more alcohol to cope with depression, sadness and anger than women do, according to a study presented at APA's 1999 Annual Convention. The study examined the connection between gender, depression and alcohol.

Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, PhD, from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, and colleagues randomly selected more than 1,300 people from Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., to participate in the study. Researchers tested participants, ages 25 to 75, on their tendency to ruminate--to have thoughts focused on negative emotions and the events that led to these feelings-- and asked whether participants depended on alcohol to handle stress.

Results showed that the men tended to rely on alcohol to cope with negative situations, while women tended to ruminate. Researchers say alcohol temporarily alleviates rumination in men, but causes more distress for women.

Men who ruminate may invite ridicule for exhibiting feminine traits, says Nolen-Hoeksema. On the other hand, women who drink alcohol to handle their problems face more negative reactions from society, increasing their feelings of guilt and encouraging more rumination.

Regardless of gender expectations, negative rumination can lead to depression and alcoholism in both sexes. Counseling sessions that help clients handle rumination would also benefit from discussions on the risk of alcohol dependency, the authors suggested.

--M. Waters

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