The Mediating Effect of Depression on the Relationship between Stress-coping Method and Drinking Behaviors in the Elderly

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of stress coping strategies in the elderly on drinking behavior and to determine whether depression mediates this relationship. To this end, 286 cases of responding to the 2022 ‘Mental Health and Addiction Survey’ conducted online by Sogang University Life Culture Research Institute for the elderly aged 65 or older were used for analysis . As a result of the study, the elderly's active stress-coping method had a negative effect on drinking behavior, and the passive stress-coping method had a positive effect on drinking behavior. It was found that the elderly's active stress-coping method had a negative effect on depression, while the passive stress-coping method had a positive effect on depression. As a result of verifying the mediating effect of depression in the relationship between the elderly's stress coping style and drinking behavior, a full mediating effect was found in the relationship between active stress coping style and drinking behavior. A partial mediating effect was found in the relationship between passive stress coping style and drinking behavior. These results mean that if the elderly actively cope with stress, it does not directly affect drinking behavior, and drinking behavior is alleviated through a decrease in depression. On the other hand, when the elderly cope with stress passively, it directly affects the deterioration of drinking behavior, but it means that it indirectly affects drinking behavior through increased depression. Based on these research results, practical and policy measures to alleviate the drinking behavior of the elderly were suggested.