Social Anxiety, Reasons for Drinking, and College Students

Alcohol-induced risky sexual behavior among socially anxious drinkers

“…First, data add to prior work (Schry & White, 2013) indicating that HSA undergraduates may experience significantly more frequent alcohol-induced risky sexual behaviors and consequences than LSA undergraduates. Second, the current study adds to a growing corpus of work finding social anxiety to be more related to coping-motivated drinking (Buckner et al, 2006;Ham et al, 2007;Ham, Zamboanga, Bacon, & Garcia, 2009;Lewis et al, 2008;Norberg et al, 2010;Stewart et al, 2006;Terlecki & Buckner, 2015). The current study extends this knowledge base by showing that coping-motivated drinking is related to more frequent alcohol-influenced risky sexual behaviors and consequences among HSA persons.…”

“…The literature suggests that social anxiety is related to drinking in situations involving negative affect (Buckner, Eggleston, & Schmidt, 2006;Terlecki & Buckner, 2015) and to more coping-motivated drinking (Blumenthal, Leen-Feldner, Frala, Badour, & Ham, 2010;Buckner & Shah, 2015;Ham, Bonin, & Hope, 2007;Lewis, Hove, Whiteside, Lee, Kirkeby et al, 2008;Norberg, Norton, Olivier, & Zvolensky, 2010;Stewart, Morris, Mellings, & Komar, 2006;Terlecki & Buckner, 2015). Furthermore, drinking to cope with negative affectivity is thought to reinforce regular use of alcohol (Sher & Levenson, 1982), resulting in elevated blood alcohol levels and alcohol tolerance (Weiss & Porrino, 2002), which are symptoms of alcohol use disorder (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013).…”

Poor adjustment to college life mediates the relationship between drinking motives and alcohol consequences: A look at college adjustment, drinking motives, and drinking outcomes

“…The Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire contains items that aim to capture mental health, anxiety, and stress components of adjustment. Indeed, in their more independent and distinct forms, mental health, social anxiety, and stress have demonstrated unique relationships with alcohol consequences among women (LaBrie et al, 2009; Norberg et al, 2010; Rice & Van Arsdale, 2010). Further, social anxiety may even serve as a protective factor against alcohol consequences for men (Norberg, Norton, Olivier, & Zvolensky, 2010).…”

Using the College Systems Model to Address High-Risk Underage Drinking

“…Social anxiety may increase the risk of alcohol-related problems in this population [12]. Some researchers found that students with symptoms of social anxiety disorder tend to drink more and have more negative consequences in comparison to the student without a social anxiety disorder.…”

“…Some researchers found that students with symptoms of social anxiety disorder tend to drink more and have more negative consequences in comparison to the student without a social anxiety disorder. Some researchers suggest that drinking in adverse situations to alleviate negative emotions may account for the positive relationship between social anxiety and adverse drinking consequences [12]. Morris, Stewart, and Ham suggested that social anxiety may provide insight into problem drinking among college students [13].…”