Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA) found that people with social anxiety drink more alcohol in the presence of strangers. Research results published In Addictive Behaviors (AD).
48 people with serious alcohol addiction between the ages of 21 and 28 participated in the study. They filled out special questionnaires to assess social anxiety. Over the next seven days, participants recorded the amount of alcohol they drank. Volunteers were required to wear transdermal breathalyzers for a similar period of time. These are bracelet-style devices that are worn around the ankle and track the amount of alcohol consumed by measuring the amount of ethanol released through the skin.
An app was downloaded to participants’ smartphones that sent notifications at random times of the day asking volunteers to provide photos of their surroundings. Participants then reported the closeness of their relationships with the people in the photographs, classifying them with terms such as “friend,” “partner” (romantic), “colleague,” and “stranger.”
After statistical analysis, it was found that social anxiety and social context affected the amount of alcohol consumed. Participants with high levels of social anxiety drank more when surrounded by strangers. On the contrary, the amount of alcohol consumed in the presence of friends and family was lower.
Researchers explained that socially anxious people may drink more in an unfamiliar environment to reduce stress, create a positive mood, or make it easier to interact with others.
Previously recognizedhow much alcohol you can drink during holiday with minimal risk to your heart.