Proposes a conceptual framework for the examination of alcohol and drug use as employee responses to work environments. Discusses three sets of substance abuse antecedents: distancing forces, attractions, and constraints. Provides examples of these antecedents within the organizational setting and explores the dynamic interrelationships among…

Analyzes data from eight epidemiological surveys to estimate the relative importance of income, education, and occupational status in predicting the distress of people in the normal population. Finds that the most important predictors of distress are different for men, women in the labor force, and homemakers. (Author/GC)