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Pain Severity and Anxiety Sensitivity Interact to Predict Drinking Severity Among
Hazardous Drinking College Students
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Pain Severity and Anxiety Sensitivity Interact to Predict Drinking Severity Among Hazardous
Drinking College Students
The article titled “Pain severity and anxiety sensitivity interact to predict drinking
severity among hazardous drinking college students” by Paulus et al. explores the match between
pain, anxiety sensitivity, and hazardous drinking among college students. In their studies, the
authors examined the relationships between pain severity and anxiety sensitivity with drinking
severity, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related problems in hazardous drinkers.
The study participants comprised 409 college students with a mean age of 20. 45. Self-
report questionnaires were used to assess pain intensity, anxiety sensitivity, and drinking habits.
Pain severity was also a significant predictor of hazardous drinking severity (β = 0. 15, p < 0.
01), as was the quantity of alcohol consumption (β = 0. 17, p < 0. 01) (Paulus et al.,2020).
However, these effects were significantly more significant for students who had high levels of
anxiety sensitivity. Nevertheless, more specifically, when the levels were above the mean by one
standard deviation, the effect of the pain on hazardous drinking was greater than when the levels
of anxiety sensitivity were low (β = 0. 09, p > 0. 05).
Interestingly, while it was found that pain severity (B = 0. 19, p < 0. 01) and anxiety
sensitivity (B = 0. 13, p < 0. 05) were both individually significant predictors of alcohol-related
problems, their moderation was not substantial (B = 0. 04, p > 0. 05) (Paulus et al., 2020). This
clearly shows the interaction between physical and psychological factors in modulating drinking
behaviors.
As a result, the finding of the present study supports the notion that college students who
experience higher levels of pain and anxiety sensitivity are more likely to engage in hazardous
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drinking. The study findings then imply that it may be necessary to screen students for anxiety
sensitivity and pain severity to identify students who may be at risk of hazardous drinking
(Paulus et al.,2020). As with dangerous drinking, an early intervention could again eliminate
unfavorable outcomes, such as low grades and physical ailments.
Hence, the present research is constructive in identifying physical and psychological
health indices in addressing the dangerous college student drinking. Understanding these
complex interactions enhances the prevention and intervention processes and decreases the
consequences of hazardous drinking in these clients.
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References
Paulus, D. J., Rogers, A. H., Asmundson, G. J., & Zvolensky, M. J. (2020). Pain severity and
anxiety sensitivity interact to predict drinking severity among hazardous drinking college
students.@The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse,@46(6), 795-804.
