Alcohol expectancies and social anxiety in male and female undergraduates

The prevalence and determinants of social anxiety disorder among people living with HIV/AIDS in Southwestern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Background

Social anxiety disorder imposes impacts of functional disability, poor educational achievement, loss of work productivity, social impairment, greater financial dependency, and impairment in quality of life. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and identify determinants of social anxiety disorder among people living with HIV/AIDS.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 to 30 May 2022 among 354 people living with HIV using a simple random sampling technique. The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) Scale was used to assess the presence of social anxiety disorder. Data were gathered using chart review tools and a structured questionnaire, which was administered by a pretested face-to-face interviewer. SPSS version 25 was used to analyse the data once they were imported into EpiData Manager version 4.6. Binary and multivariable logistic regressions were performed. After calculating odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval (CI), statistical significance was established at p < 0.05.

Results

A total of 336 respondents participated in the study, resulting in a response rate of 94.91%. The magnitude of social anxiety disorder was 32.44% (95% CI: 27.4, 37.2). Being female [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.61, 7.84], having a stage III/IV HIV/AIDS status (AOR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.10, 9.13), being alcohol dependent (AOR = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.45, 5.44), and having perceived stigma (AOR = 5.62, 95% CI: 2.95, 10.72) were predictors of social anxiety disorder.

Conclusion

In this study, approximately one-third of people living with HIV/AIDS had social anxiety disorder. Being female, having a stage III/IV HIV/AIDS status, being alcohol dependent, and having perceived stigma were predictors of social anxiety disorder. Therefore, training for health care providers on the screening, counselling, and management of social anxiety disorder is important.

Understanding the relationship between social anxiety and alcohol use in college students: a meta-analysis

Many college students use alcohol, and most of these students experience problems related to their use. Emerging research indicates that socially anxious students face heightened risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems, although the extant research on alcohol use and social anxiety in this population has yielded inconsistent findings. This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between social anxiety and alcohol variables in college students. A literature search was used to identify studies on college students that included measures of social anxiety and at least one of the alcohol variables of interest. All analyses were conducted using random effects models. We found that social anxiety was negatively correlated with alcohol use variables (e.g., typical quantity and typical frequency), but significantly positively correlated with alcohol-related problems, coping, conformity, and social motives for alcohol use, and positive and negative alcohol outcome expectancies. Several moderators of effect sizes were found to be significant, including methodological factors such as sample ascertainment approach. Given that social anxiety was negatively related to alcohol use but positively related to alcohol-related problems, research is needed to address why individuals high in social anxiety experience more problems as a result of their alcohol use. Avoidance of social situations among socially anxious students should also be taken into account when measuring alcohol use. The primary limitation of this study is the small number of studies available for inclusion in some of the analyses.

Alcohol expectancy responses from teenagers: the early forewarning signals

BACKGROUND

The Indian population is overwhelmed by the rapid developmental activities in the new millennium. This has brought in urbanization and several banes of the faster life. Alcoholism is one among the menaces which have to be tackled at an early stage.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the subjective expectancies from alcohol intake in young college students.

METHODS

We carried out a survey on the expectancy from youth of the alcohol effects, which in fact is known as the principal motivator of alcohol intake. We chose the pre-university students (n= 200; 100 males and 100 females) of one of the oldest and prestigious colleges of Mangalore (south India). The survey used the Comprehensive Effect of Alcohol (CEOA) where the students had to respond to two sets of 38 questions, in which they would mention whether they agreed or disagreed to the statement regarding the effects of alcohol intake.

RESULTS

From the results, we found that these young students were in agreement of the view that alcohol could cause a positive reinforcement. They also strongly agreed that alcohol consumption could cause negative effects. This was significantly more pronounced among the girls. Strikingly, only 25% of the boys and 14.5% of girls had consumed alcohol before, who indicated a stronger positive reinforce response as compared to those who had not tasted alcohol.

CONCLUSIONS

The results reveal that the first exposure to alcohol consumption is the key factor which leads to alcoholism. If the experience of alcohol intake and the effects of alcohol are liked with the subjects, that becomes a motivating factor for future attempts. This needs a closer look by the clinicians, counselors and the parents, who need to actively interfere in educating the youth and in guiding them in the right direction during their formative ages.

A biopsychosocial model of social anxiety and substance use

Emerging prospective work suggests that individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) may be at particular risk for developing substance use disorders (SUD). Yet, little is known about why this may be so. Most research has utilized existing theories of substance use (e.g. tension reduction-based theories) to understand SAD-SUD relations. However, these theories do not address why individuals with social anxiety, in particular, experience such high rates of substance-related problems. A possible explanation may lie in the nature of social anxiety itself, which is characterized not only by chronically elevated negative affective states, but by low positive affect, fear of scrutiny, and social avoidance. These aspects of social anxiety may work in concert to place these especially vulnerable individuals at risk for SUD. The current paper presents a biopsychosocial model of SAD-SUD comorbidity that focuses on several specific facets of social anxiety that may be especially related to SUD risk. The utility of this model is evaluated via a review of the literature on the relations between SAD and substance-related behaviors.

Social anxiety and motives for alcohol use among adolescents

Social anxiety evidences significant comorbidity with alcohol use disorders and alcohol-related problems. In an effort to better understand this co-occurrence, researchers are beginning to evaluate specific drinking-related factors, including alcohol use motives, among socially anxious individuals. Drawing on Cooper's (1994) 4-factor model of drinking motives (enhancement, social, conformity, coping), a growing body of work suggests that socially anxious individuals may consume alcohol in an effort to cope with their anxious symptoms; however, no study to date has examined these relations among youth. Accordingly, we examined alcohol use motives as a function of social anxiety in a community-based sample of 50 adolescents ages 12 to 17 years (Mage = 16.35, SD = 1.10). As predicted, heightened social anxiety was associated with elevated coping-related drinking motives. More important, other alcohol-use motives did not vary as a function of social anxiety. Collectively, these findings uniquely extend research conducted with adults, and suggest socially anxious youth may be motivated to use alcohol to manage their anxious arousal.

Anxiety Psychopathology and Alcohol Use among Adolescents: A Critical Review of the Empirical Literature and Recommendations for Future Research

Adolescent alcohol use is a critical public health concern; accordingly, a considerable body of work exists identifying developmentally salient risk and protective factors. One area receiving increasing attention among adults is the linkage between specific constellations of anxiety psychopathology and alcohol use problems. Relatively less is known about such linkages among adolescents, despite the onset of both anxiety-type problems and alcohol use during this developmental period. The current review presents a detailed summary and analysis of the empirical literature focused on specific forms of anxiety psychopathology as they relate to alcohol use among adolescents, and provides a number of specific recommendations for future work with an emphasis on the utility of experimental psychopathology techniques for clarifying basic questions and forwarding this body of work.

The Role of Social Anxiety in a Brief Alcohol Intervention for Heavy-Drinking College Students

The Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) reduces alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among undergraduates, yet variability in outcomes exists. Identifying individual difference variables related to outcomes could inform efforts to improve treatment protocols. The current study evaluated the role of social anxiety during BASICS. High socially anxious (HSA; n = 26) and low socially anxious (LSA; n = 44) heavy-drinking undergraduates were randomly assigned to BASICS (n = 38) or an assessment-only control (n = 32). HSA patients reported higher baseline alcohol consumption (typical drinks, weekly quantity, and frequency). BASICS significantly decreased weekly alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems relative to the control group. Social anxiety moderated outcomes such that in the BASICS condition; HSA patients reported heavier typical drinks at posttest, even after controlling for referral status, baseline typical drinks, and trait anxiety. This was not the case in the control group. HSA patients may benefit from social anxiety-specific interventions during BASICS.

Putting Thoughts Into Context: Alcohol Expectancies, Social Anxiety, and Hazardous Drinking

Alcohol outcome expectancies (AOE), or beliefs about the effects of drinking, are believed to moderate the association between social anxiety and hazardous alcohol use. AOE can also vary depending on the drinking context. The current study tested whether AOE specific to three drinking contexts would moderate the association between social anxiety and hazardous use among undergraduates (N = 377; 70% women; Mage = 21.0). Results showed that AOE about convivial contexts (e.g., at a party), but not AOE about coping (e.g., when sad) or intimate (e.g., on a date) contexts, moderated the association between social anxiety and hazardous drinking. Specifically, social anxiety and hazardous drinking were related positively for those endorsing higher positive or lower negative AOE about convivial settings, and associated negatively for those reporting low positive or high negative AOE in these contexts. Thus, socially anxious young adults who endorse high positive or low negative AOE about convivial drinking contexts could be at elevated risk for alcohol-related problems.

Social anxiety disorder as a risk factor for alcohol use disorders: a prospective examination of parental and peer influences

Elucidation of mechanisms underlying the high rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains a pressing clinical and research concern. Despite data indicating that social anxiety disorder (SAD) may be a psychological vulnerability that increases AUD risk, no known prospective research has examined underlying mechanisms. Given the nature of SAD, social support and peer alcohol use may be implicated. The present study set out to clarify the SAD-AUD link in several ways using a prospective dataset comprised of 1803 (47% female) young adults at T1, 1431 of whom were assessed again approximately 3 years later. First, stringent criteria were used to directly test whether SAD was a risk for AUD. Second, we examined whether social support and peer alcohol use moderated the prospective SAD-AUD link. Structured diagnostic interviews were conducted to assess DSM-IV Axis I disorders, negative life events, social support, and peer alcohol use. Among men, Time 1 (T1) SAD was not significantly related to Time 2 (T2) AUD. Yet, among women, T1 SAD was related to T2 AUD. Further, T1 SAD was the only internalizing disorder to significantly predict T2 AUD after controlling for relevant variables (e.g., T1 depression, other anxiety, alcohol and marijuana use disorders). The SAD-AUD relation demonstrated directional specificity. Family cohesion and adverse family relations significantly moderated this relation. Findings highlight the important role of SAD and familial support in the onset of AUD among women.

Alcohol outcome expectancies and drinking to cope with social situations

Repeated use of alcohol as a coping strategy to reduce anxiety or discomfort increases one's risk of developing alcohol dependence. Previous studies have found alcohol outcome expectancies (AOE) strongly predict drinking behavior, in general, and also are related to drinking to cope. The purpose of the current study was to examine AOE that may be related to drinking to cope with discomfort in social situations. It was hypothesized that positive AOE, especially related to assertion and tension reduction, would be most associated with drinking to cope with social situations. Fifty-six community volunteers from a larger study on attentional bias and drinking to cope were divided into high (n=36) and low (n=20) drinking to cope groups following completion of a questionnaire battery. Findings indicated AOE were well able to classify drinking to cope status, with 91% of cases correctly classified. As hypothesized, assertion and tension reduction AOE uniquely contributed to the discriminant function in classifying drinking to cope groups. These findings have implications for the prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorders and suggest that AOE should be further investigated as potential moderators of the relationship between social anxiety and alcohol use disorders.

Incorporating social anxiety into a model of college problem drinking: replication and extension

Although research has found an association between social anxiety and alcohol use in noncollege samples, results have been mixed for college samples. College students face many novel social situations in which they may drink to reduce social anxiety. In the current study, the authors tested a model of college problem drinking, incorporating social anxiety and related psychosocial variables among 228 undergraduate volunteers. According to structural equation modeling (SEM) results, social anxiety was unrelated to alcohol use and was negatively related to drinking consequences. Perceived drinking norms mediated the social anxiety-alcohol use relation and was the variable most strongly associated with problem drinking. College students appear to be unique with respect to drinking and social anxiety. Although the notion of social anxiety alone as a risk factor for problem drinking was unsupported, additional research is necessary to determine whether there is a subset of socially anxious students who have high drinking norms and are in need of intervention.

Social anxiety and problematic cannabis use: Evaluating the moderating role of stress reactivity and perceived coping

Despite epidemiological reports indicating an association between social anxiety disorder (SAD) and cannabis use disorders (CUD), there is a paucity of research exploring the nature of this relationship. The present investigation examined potential moderators of this relationship that are consistent with a tension-reduction model of addiction. Specifically, physiological reactivity to stress and perceived coping with stress were evaluated as moderators of the relation between symptoms of SAD and CUD. Physiological (SCR) and subjective (perceived coping) responses to unpredictable white noise bursts were collected from non-clinical participants (n=123). Lifetime symptoms of CUD and anxiety disorders were assessed using a structured diagnostic interview. CUD symptomatology was associated with symptoms of SAD but not with symptoms of any other anxiety disorder. Only perceived coping to unpredictable stimuli moderated the relationship between SAD and CUD symptoms. Findings are discussed in the context of tension-reduction models of co-occurring social anxiety and problematic cannabis use.

Social anxiety, alcohol expectancies, and self-efficacy as predictors of heavy drinking in college students

Burke and Stephens (1999) [Burke, R.S., Stephens, R.S. Social anxiety and drinking in college students: A social cognitive theory analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 19, (1999) 513-530.] proposed a social cognitive theory of heavy drinking in college students. According to this theory, alcohol expectancies for social facilitation and self-efficacy for refusing heavy drinking in anxiety-producing social situations moderate the relationship between social anxiety and drinking. In the current study, a significant three-way interaction was observed among social anxiety, expectancies, and self-efficacy when amount and frequency of drinking was the dependent variable. As predicted by the model, socially anxious college students with low self-efficacy for avoiding heavy drinking in social situations and high positive expectancies for social facilitation reported more alcohol consumption than other socially anxious individuals.

Alcohol abuse as a rite of passage: the effect of beliefs about alcohol and the college experience on undergraduates' drinking behaviors

Qualitative studies of alcohol's ritual influences indicate that college undergraduates who drink heavily tend to view alcohol use as integral to the student role and feel entitled to drink irresponsibly. Our analyses, based on a standardized measure of these beliefs administered to approximately 300 students, confirmed these findings. Among our sample, beliefs about alcohol and the college experience had an effect on levels of alcohol consumption similar in magnitude to that of other variables commonly associated with a risk for heavy drinking. Moreover, the alcohol beliefs index moderated the effects of three risk factors--gender, high school drinking, and friends' use of alcohol--on respondents' drinking behaviors. These findings are discussed within the context of the anthropological literature on liminality and rites of passage and with regard to strategies for intervention that address the structural roots of the widespread abuse of alcohol on college campuses.

Incorporating social anxiety into a model of college student problematic drinking

College problem drinking and social anxiety are significant public health concerns with highly negative consequences. College students are faced with a variety of novel social situations and situations encouraging alcohol consumption. The current study involved developing a path model of college problem drinking, including social anxiety, in 316 college students referred to an alcohol intervention due to a campus alcohol violation. Contrary to hypotheses, social anxiety generally had an inverse relationship with problem drinking. As expected, perceived drinking norms had important positive, direct effects on drinking variables. However, the results generally did not support the hypotheses regarding the mediating or moderating function of the valuations of expected effects and provided little support for the mediating function of alcohol expectancies in the relations among social anxiety and alcohol variables. Therefore, it seems that the influence of peers may be more important for college students than alcohol expectancies and valuations of alcohol's effects are. College students appear to be a unique population in respect to social anxiety and problem drinking. The implications of these results for college prevention and intervention programs were discussed.

College students and problematic drinking: a review of the literature

Problem drinking during the college years is a significant public health concern. The goal of the current review was to examine the primary psychosocial factors that predict problem drinking in college students. Variables examined included demographic variables, personality, drinking history, alcohol expectancies, drinking motives, stress and coping, activity involvement, and peer and family influence. Evidence from studies of college drinking indicated that the variables associated with college drinking seem to vary at levels dealing with one's personality and coping mechanisms, one's thought processes about drinking, and the environment. It seems that expectancies and drinking motives may serve as explanations for the pathways from certain personality types (i.e., sensation seeking and neurotic) to problem drinking in the college setting. Factors that predicted future drinking problems after college were also examined. Overall, it seems that interventions and prevention programs would need to reach college students at all three levels--the environment, individual personality traits, and cognitive processes. Future research should address the limitations in the previous research as well as test comprehensive models of college drinking.

Alcohol expectancies and social deficits relating to problem drinking among college students

Standardized questionnaires were administered to 116 male and female undergraduates to examine how social deficits and alcohol expectancies relate to alcohol use. Participants were classified as either problem or nonproblem drinkers based on the Rutgers Collegiate Substance Abuse Screening Test. Problem drinkers reported experiencing social anxiety, shyness, and lower self-esteem to a greater extent than nonproblem drinkers. Problem drinkers also held more positive alcohol expectancies than nonproblem drinkers. Contrary to our hypotheses, however, particular types of alcohol expectancies did not interact with specific areas of social functioning to influence problem drinking. Overall, these findings suggest that problem drinkers have positive expectations about the immediate effects of alcohol consumption even though drinking is linked to long-term impairment in social functioning.

Effect of alcohol on social phobic anxiety

OBJECTIVE

Previous research has demonstrated a greater-than-expected association between social phobia and alcohol use disorders. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that drinking alcohol reduces social phobic anxiety.

METHOD

Treatment-seeking individuals with social phobia (N = 40) were asked to give two impromptu speeches. Twenty subjects received a placebo alcoholic drink before both speeches, and 20 subjects received a placebo before the first speech, followed by a moderate dose of alcohol before the second speech. Subjective anxiety ratings, heart rate, and cognitions related to social anxiety were used as measures of anxiety.

RESULTS

Repeated measures analyses of variance yielded no significant differences in anxiety (subjective, physiological, cognitive) between the alcohol and placebo groups. Current and past drinking habits did not significantly alter the effect of alcohol on anxiety. The belief that one received alcohol was significantly related to levels of subjective anxiety and negative cognitions.

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol does not directly reduce social phobic anxiety. The belief that one received alcohol may reduce social anxiety.

Social anxiety, alcohol expectancies, and drinking-game participation

Few studies have investigated factors contributing to college student participation in drinking games. The extent to which drinking games contribute to negative alcohol-related consequences is uncertain. The current study attempted to (a) clarify the risks posed by drinking-game participation, (b) identify characteristics of heavy drinkers who play frequently and those who seldom play, and (c) determine if students participated in drinking games to reduce anxiety in social situations. Tension reduction alcohol expectancies were examined as a potential moderator variable for the relationship between social anxiety and frequency of play. Drinking games accounted for high proportions of all negative alcohol-related consequences and appeared to be strongly associated with instances of sexual victimization. Contrary to predictions based on the tension reduction hypothesis, greater frequency of play was associated with lower social anxiety, and no moderating effect was found for tension reduction expectancies. Frequent players also had more environmental exposure to drinking games. In men, heavy-drinking players may resemble Clonninger's Type 1 alcoholic, whereas heavy-drinking nonplayers resemble the Type 2 pattern. A full understanding of college student drinking behavior may not be possible without greater understanding of drinking games.

Measuring problem drinking in first time offenders. Development and validation of the College Alcohol Problem Scale (CAPS)

Research on college drinking continues to justify serious concerns for the psychological, social, and physical well-being of young persons who abuse alcohol. However, despite considerable interest and research in this regard, there are few valid, reliable and clinically useful brief screening instruments available to measure youthful drinking problems. The current study of 315 college students cited their first time for breaking university drinking rules describes the development and validation of the College Alcohol Problem Scale (CAPS) for measuring different psychosocial dimensions of problem drinking in college students. Two related but distinct factors emerged defining Socio-Emotional and Community Problems. These two factors explained almost two thirds of the variance, and showed very good internal reliabilities. MANOVA analysis demonstrated concurrent validity for the CAPS with both a measure of heavy drinking derived from the QFI and a modified version of the MAST. Implications for using the CAPS for identifying potential drinking problems in young persons are emphasized.

Measuring excessive alcohol use in college drinking contexts: the Drinking Context Scale

Research on youthful drinking has shown that the greatest risks associated with alcohol abuse are related to contextual factors that may potentiate heavy drinking as well as increase risks for adverse consequences. These contextual factors include interacting psychological, interpersonal, and environmental dimensions of alcohol use. However, despite considerable college drinking research to identify these factors, few formal instruments have been produced for measuring excessive drinking in multidimensional contexts. The current study of 197 college students who were cited their first time for breaking university drinking rules focuses on the development and validation of a scale for measuring the likelihood of excessive drinking across an array of psychological, interpersonal and situational contexts resulting in the 23-item Drinking Context Scale (DCS). Three distinct factors emerged defining Convivial drinking, Private Intimate drinking, and drinking as a form of Negative Coping. These three factors explained 61.5% of the variance after principal components analysis and varimax rotation, showed excellent internal reliabilities, and were moderately intercorrelated. MANOVA analysis demonstrated concurrent validity with the Quality Frequency Index (QFI) and a modified version of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST). Implications for further research with the DCS are suggested.

Predicting problem drinking in college students: gender differences and the CAGE questionnaire

Adolescents and young adults are among the highest users of alcohol and other drugs in the United States. One of the tools most commonly employed in screening for problem drinking and alcohol dependence is the CAGE questionnaire. Research has indicated, however, that not only may the CAGE be a poor detection device for identifying youthful substance abuse, but it may particularly lack strength in the detection of alcohol abuse by young women. The current study examined the predictive power of the CAGE relative to other common assessment indicators of youthful substance abuse in a sample of college students. It focused on the relative predictive power of the CAGE in detecting a high level of drinking-related problems. In addition, the interaction of gender and a positive CAGE score was included in the logistic regression analysis to test the hypothesis that the CAGE is predictive for men but not for women. Results suggest that the CAGE is a relatively weak predictor of alcohol-related problems in this sample of college students, and it lacks predictive power for detecting, problems in college women. Issues concerning substance-abuse assessment in young people are discussed, with special consideration given to gender differences.

The utility of novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and expectancy in the prediction of drinking

To test the hypothesis that two temperament scales (Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance) are differentially related to alcohol expectancies and drinking patterns, 140 adolescents from an inpatient psychiatric facility completed several self-report questionnaires measuring temperament, alcohol expectancies, and alcohol consumption. Moderated multiple regression analyses indicated that Novelty Seeking was significantly related to frequency of drinking and problem drinking, but that Harm Avoidance was not related to these variables. Results of the MANOVA indicated that high novelty seeking and low harm avoidant (Type 2) individuals had a significantly higher frequency of drinking than did individuals who were high on Harm Avoidance and low on Novelty Seeking (Type 1). Results also showed that expectancy and Novelty Seeking contributed significant independent and overlapping variance in the prediction of amount of drinking. Although Novelty Seeking was related to expectations of social functioning, other hypothesized relationships between temperament and expectancy were not supported.

Differences in Asian and white drinking: consumption level, drinking contexts, and expectancies

Despite the heterogeneous nature of interethnic drinking differences within racial groups, research has demonstrated that cautious generalizations can be made when comparing Asian and White drinking patterns. Persons in the United States who identify their race as "Asian" drink much less than their White counterparts, and they report fewer problems. Some have speculated that drinking patterns between racial groups are mediated by culturally influenced social learning. To date there has been very little research examining the expectancy of reinforcement from drinking between different racial, cultural or ethnic groups. The current study of 637 white and 179 Asian university students examined differences in alcohol consumption and problem levels, the social context of drinking, and alcohol expectancies. Results show considerable differences between Asian and White drinking and level of associated problems, as well as similarities and differences in social drinking contexts. It also appears that Asians expected greater tension reduction from drinking despite drinking less overall. Implications for further research are suggested that would link racial, and more specifically, ethnic drinking differences with culturally defined alcohol expectancies.

Alcohol and social anxiety in women and men: pharmacological and expectancy effects

A replication study was conducted to determine pharmacological and expectancy effects of alcohol on self-reported anxiety in a social interaction situation. Thirty-two male and thirty-two female social drinkers were randomly assigned to four conditions in a 2 x 2 factorial balanced placebo design, controlling for drink content and expectations. Results show that in women alcohol expectancy reduced self-reported anxiety, whereas in men there was no significant effect of expectancy. Alcohol consumption reduced anxiety in both men and women. Controlling for beliefs increased some of the effects we found. We conclude that although cognitive factors do mediate the effects of alcohol on self-reported anxiety, this influence seems to be different for men and women and the role of pharmacological factors might be more crucial.

Alcohol consumption and presenting problems in an out-patient mental health clinic

Alcohol use has been shown to co-occur with a range of psychiatric disorders and psycho-social problems in both clinical and general population studies. The current survey of 683 out-patient mental health clients examined the relationship of self-reported alcohol use (as measured by the Quantity-Frequency index and the Retrospective Diary) with self-ratings of common mental health concerns. The South Shore Problem Inventory was developed as a brief self-report instrument to be used for routine assessment and research. The inventory yielded three factors after principal components analysis and Varimax rotation: affective/physiological signs and symptoms (Factor 1), interpersonal/family problems (Factor 2), and vocational/legal difficulties (including a self-rating of substance abuse) (Factor 3). MANOVA revealed that heavy drinking predicted significantly higher problem scores for all three factors. The SSPI showed good initial reliability and utility, and the three sub-scales were theoretically congruent with a social learning model of assessment. The use of similar problem scales and substance abuse indices can be used with a wider variety of both mental health and substance abuse treatment populations to provide routine self-report data for clinical and research applications.