title: Social anxiety and motives for alcohol use among adolescents.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. hblumen@uark.edu
authors.forename: Heidemarie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.forename: Ellen W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Leen-Feldner
authors.forename: Jamie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Frala
authors.forename: Christal L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Badour
authors.forename: Lindsay S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Ham
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires