Social Support and the Rehabilitation of Alcohol-Impaired Drivers: Drinking Motives as Moderators.

Alcohol-impaired driving is a common and costly public health problem associated with alcohol misuse. This investigation aims to understand the role of social support and drinking motives in motivating alcohol-impaired drivers to reduce alcohol use. One hundred nineteen participants with a history of driving-while-intoxicated arrest were recruited from either a correctional treatment facility ( = 59) or the community ( = 60) and asked about their motivation to change alcohol use. Motivation to change was tested in relationships with two types of social support (i.e. and ) and drinking motives (, and ). The results showed: (1) only was positively associated with motivation to change; (2) and had a negative association with motivation to change; (3) the impact of on motivation to change was greater among those with a stronger . In other words, those who drink primarily for pleasure showed a greater increase in motivation to change when more is available, compared to those with lower . The findings of this investigation contribute to our knowledge of the roles of communication in the rehabilitation of alcohol-impaired drivers.