Stress, alcohol use, and depressive symptoms in later life.

The purpose of this study is to use social identity theory in order to evaluate whether alcohol use buffers the effects of stress on depressive symptoms. Two hypotheses are developed from this perspective. The first specifies that alcohol use should reduce the negative impact of events arising in social roles that are not valued highly by study participants. The second predicts that alcoholic consumption will exacerbate the effects of stressors that emerge in roles that are highly salient. Support for these propositions was obtained with data provided by a recent nationwide survey of older adults.