Houston: People who depend on their relationship to make them feel good about themselves are more likely to become an alcoholic if they believe their partner is cheating, a new study has found.
The study from from the University of Houston is the first to link romantic jealousy, relationship-dependent self-esteem and alcohol problems.
The researchers said that understanding the link between these three factors could help identify people at risk of alcoholism more quickly.
Predicting alcohol problems means they can be prevented, and research has shown that using alcohol to cope with negative emotions is one of the strongest predictors.
"We all experience feelings of jealousy to some degree; many people are in relationships that are less than ideal, and use alcohol for different reasons," said lead author Angelo DiBello.
"Romantic jealousy is a shared human experience, but very little work has looked at how it is related to alcohol use, misuse and associated problems," DiBello said.
"This research helps to highlight the associations between these factors and show how our emotions, thoughts, and behaviours are related in potentially harmful ways," DiBello said.
The researchers investigated how different types of jealousy affect the link between depending on a romantic relationship for self-esteem and having alcohol problems.
For the study, 277 people (87 per cent female) from a university answered questions about how dependent their self-esteem is on their romantic relationship, the satisfaction, commitment and closeness in their relationship, their jealousy and their alcohol use.
The results showed that people whose self-esteem relies on their relationship turn to alcohol to cope because of jealousy. These findings were especially true for people who were less satisfied, less committed, and reported feeling more disconnected from their partners.
When a person's self-worth is tied to their relationship, the effect of negative events or emotions is magnified, the researchers said.
The study showed that when this happens, believing their partner is cheating can lead a person to use alcohol to cope.
"Given how common experiencing jealousy and being in romantic relationships are, this work helps to explain difference associations that may negatively impact an individual's drinking," said DiBello.
"I think it is important to understand the role romantic jealousy plays in the larger context of problem behaviours. Ultimately, I hope to use findings like these to support the development of prevention and intervention efforts among individuals who may struggle with alcohol, self-esteem and relationship issues," said DiBello.
The study was published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.
