Research & Resources

A latent profile analysis of social anxiety, depression, and pregaming motives among heavy-drinking college students.

Pregaming is a high-risk drinking behavior that is associated with heavy drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences. In this study researchers examined heterogeneity in how pregaming motives, social anxiety, and depression associate with past 30-day pregaming variables (quantity, frequency, and negative consequences). A sample of 479 heavy-drinking university students was analyzed.
Among these students, social anxiety and pregaming motives were associated with more frequent pregaming and social anxiety and depression were associated with greater negative consequences. Interventions that target pregaming-specific motives among students with mental health symptoms may be warranted to reduce this risky behavior and associated drinking-related harm.


This paper, “A latent profile analysis of social anxiety, depression, and pregaming motives among heavy-drinking college students,” was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and published in the journal Alcohol, clinical & experimental research.

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