Relations between social anxiety and alcohol use problems via depression: The influence of distress tolerance

Abstract

It is crucial to investigate factors influencing the relation between social anxiety and alcohol use problems. In separate moderated mediation analyses, we explored whether social anxiety indirectly explained alcohol use problems via depression, and if 1) emotional distress tolerance (self-report) and 2) physical distress tolerance (breath-holding duration) moderated the relation between depression and alcohol use problems. Undergraduates (N=208, 76.9% women-identified) completed questionnaires and tasks. At low physical distress tolerance, there was a conditional indirect effect of social anxiety on alcohol use problems through depression (effect=.12, 95% CI=.03, .22). At high physical distress tolerance, there was no conditional indirect effect of social anxiety on alcohol use and problems through depression (effect).

Keywords

• social anxiety
• depression
• alcohol
• alcohol use problems
• distress tolerance
• breath-holding duration