A recent study from Concordia University highlights the troubling link between alcohol consumption and anxiety sensitivity, especially among young adults. As the world nears the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdown, the study sheds light on how the pandemic’s stress may have exacerbated this cycle, revealing that drinking to cope with anxiety likely worsens symptoms for those who suffer from anxiety sensitivity.
Published in the Journal of American College Health, the research found that individuals with high anxiety sensitivity—the fear of anxiety symptoms and their potential negative outcomes—tend to use alcohol as a coping mechanism. However, this strategy often backfires, putting them at higher risk of problematic drinking behaviors and their associated consequences.
Lead author Charlotte Corran, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Psychology at Concordia, pointed out that while anxiety sensitivity was linked to increased alcohol use, it did not necessarily result in extreme drinking behaviors that disrupted daily life, such as work or academic performance. Instead, the study found that anxiety sensitivity predicted heavier drinking, largely due to perceived stress and drinking for enhancement or social reasons.
“We were surprised to find that perceived stress did not explain the link between anxiety sensitivity and problem drinking,” Corran said, noting that individuals with high anxiety sensitivity seemed more prone to drink as a coping mechanism, regardless of their stress levels—a finding that was unexpected by the researchers.
The study also suggested that people with heightened anxiety sensitivity may have already been predisposed to stress before the pandemic, making the COVID-19 lockdowns less impactful for them. “For those individuals, the pandemic didn’t add anything new: ‘I’m already stressed all the time, so this isn’t anything different,'” Corran explained.
A Glimpse into Young Adults’ Coping Mechanisms During the Pandemic
The study utilized data from 143 undergraduate students, collected in May 2020 and April 2021. Participants were assessed using a variety of self-report questionnaires, including the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, which evaluates sensitivity to anxious symptoms and fear of negative outcomes, and the Perceived Stress Scale, which measures subjective stress.
Additionally, the Modified Drinking Motives Questionnaire, tailored to capture drinking behaviors during the pandemic, assessed various motivations for drinking: coping with anxiety, coping with depression, enhancement, sociability, and conformity. Participants were also asked to document their typical weekly alcohol consumption and report the frequency of problematic drinking behaviors.
While the research confirmed pre-pandemic patterns of risky drinking behaviors, it also provided an intriguing snapshot of how young adults with high anxiety sensitivity navigated the heightened stress of the pandemic. The findings offer valuable insights for future clinical practices, interventions, and therapeutic approaches, emphasizing the need for alternative coping mechanisms other than alcohol use.
“As we continue to understand the cognitive behaviors that contribute to problematic drinking, these findings will help inform clinical practices such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and intervention strategies,” Corran noted. “It is essential that we find more adaptive ways to cope with stress, rather than relying on alcohol.”
The study’s findings underscore the complex relationship between alcohol use and anxiety sensitivity, urging further research and intervention to address this growing concern, particularly in a post-pandemic world.
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