Brief CBT for high anxiety sensitivity decreases drinking problems, relief alcohol outcome expectancies, and conformity drinking motives: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: High anxiety sensitivity (AS; fear of anxiety sensations) is associated with frequent and problem drinking (Stewart, Samoluk, & MacDonald, ).

Aims: It was hypothesized that a program designed to reduce AS levels in young adult women would also result in a decrease in their dysfunctional drinking behavior.

Method: The brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention was conducted in small group format. Participants were selected to form high and low AS groups, according to their scores on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; Peterson & Reiss, ), and randomly assigned to participate in 3 one-hour sessions of either brief CBT (i.e., psycho-education, cognitive restructuring, and physical exercise interoceptive exposure) or a control group seminar (discussion about psychology ethics). Drinking measures were assessed at pre-treatment and 10 weeks post-intervention.

Results: Following the intervention, high AS participants in the CBT condition revealed significant reduction in conformity motivated drinking and emotional relief expectancies, as well as a 50% reduction in proportion meeting criteria for hazardous alcohol use as compared to other three groups.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that alcohol abuse might be effectively prevented among high risk individuals with a brief CBT approach targeting high AS, and that AS may operate as one underlying determinant of dysfunctional drinking behavior.

Declaration of interests: None.

Keywords:

• Anxiety sensitivity
• cognitive-behavioural treatment
• drinking behaviour
• co-morbidity

Notes

1 Numbers for participants with complete data for both baseline and follow-up on the drinking measures varied from 145 for frequency and quantity per week, to 147 for enhancement motives and reward expectancies, to 148 for all other drinking variables. The attrition rate was calculated based on a follow-up sample of 148.