Perceived Norms about Coping-Motivated Drinking Mediate the Relations Between Social Anxiety and Alcohol Use and Related Problems

Social anxiety has been shown to be a risk factor for alcohol-related problems among emerging adults. Perceived norms may be a relevant cognitive factor underlying this risk; however, previous literature has focused mostly on broad norms about alcohol use in general and not on norms about specific alcohol use behaviours. The main goal of this study was to examine the mediating role of perceived approval about drinking to cope specifically, in the pathway from social anxiety to alcohol use and related problems. I hypothesized that university students with heightened social anxiety would perceive their friends (in particular) as being approving of drinking to cope with negative affect, which would lead to an increase in alcohol problems. Participants were ages 18 to 29 from six Canadian universities and completed an online cross- sectional survey measuring social anxiety levels, perceived approval of specific risky drinking behaviours, alcohol use frequency, and alcohol-related problems. Mediation analyses showed that elevated social anxiety predicted greater perceptions of friends approving of drinking to cope, which in turn, predicted elevated alcohol-related problems. This mediation effect was not seen when analyzing perceived approval from typical students, highlighting a specificity for friends increasing perceived approval of coping-related drinking behaviours. Perceived approval of sexual risk taking from friends was associated with lower alcohol-related problems, and perceived approval of heavy drinking from typical students was associated with increased alcohol outcomes. This study is the first to examine the impact of perceived approval of specific risky drinking behaviours on alcohol outcomes among students with relatively elevated social anxiety. Such research could contribute to improving the efficacy of personalized normative feedback interventions for modifying normative perceptions and alcohol outcomes.

Author dc:creator

• Newman, Jessica Esther

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Keough, Matt

Statement dc:rights

• Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10315/42712

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:yorkspace.library.yorku.ca:10315/42712