Relations of social anxiety variables to drinking motives, drinking quantity and frequency, and alcohol-related problems in undergraduates

Abstract

Background: The co-morbidity between social phobia and alcohol disorder is well established.

Aims: This study investigated the nature of the relationship between traits associated with these disorders.

Method: A total of 157 undergraduate drinkers (112 women; 45 men) completed measures tapping aspects of social phobia (i.e., the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation scale) and drinking behavior (i.e., the Drinking Motives Questionnaire – Revised, quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index).

Results: Correlational analyses (controlling for gender) revealed that: (i) social avoidance and distress was significantly negatively related to drinking frequency; (ii) fear of negative evaluation and social avoidance and distress were both significantly positively related to drinking to cope with negative emotions and to conform to peer pressure; and (iii) fear of negative evaluation was also significantly positively related to drinking to socialize and to drinking problems. The relationship between fear of negative evaluation and drinking problems was mediated by coping and conformity drinking motives.

Conclusions: Implications for developing effective integrated treatments for co-occurring social anxiety and alcohol problems are discussed, as are preventative implications.

Keywords:

• Alcohol abuse
• social anxiety
• drinking behavior
• negative evaluation sensitivity
• social avoidance and distress
• drinking motives