Live Poster Session: https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/92849528104
Abstract: Alcohol use remains a prevalent issue worldwide and is often a topic of research. Alcohol use disorder (AUD), or alcoholism, further complicates issues with alcohol misuse and consumption, contributing to high numbers of alcohol-related emergencies and death. Several factors contribute to increasing the risk of alcohol use disorder, including mental health conditions such as social anxiety disorder. Although comorbidity between social anxiety disorder and alcoholism is well documented through clinical studies, primarily with samples of alcoholic inpatients, both of these conditions often go undiagnosed and occur at varying degrees that may not always result in hospitalization. Therefore, less is known about comorbidity rates in non-clinical populations, nor how the severity of either condition plays a role in their relationship. The present analysis seeks to establish the relationship between the severity of social anxiety and the presence of alcohol use disorder in a nationally representative sample of the US. Results reveal a significant association between the level of social anxiety and alcoholism, where a greater number of social anxiety symptoms predicts a higher likelihood of having alcoholism. Gender was also found to be an additional explanatory variable that significantly influences the likelihood of having alcoholism, with males being at higher risk regardless of their social anxiety level. These findings can help better identify a subpopulation at a higher risk of alcoholism, which could be targeted for early intervention before conditions fully develop or worsen.
kfhu-QAC201-Poster