PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Psychopharmacology

Study on ‘hangxiety’ finds shy people experience an increase in anxiety a day after drinking alcohol

by Anastasiya Tyshko
March 27, 2020
in Psychopharmacology
(Photo credit: pathdoc)

(Photo credit: pathdoc)

[Subscribe to PsyPost on YouTube to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Shy people are more likely to experience anxiety during alcohol hangover, according to a recent Personality and Individual Differences study. In turn, getting “hangxiety” was linked to an increased risk of alcoholism for very shy individuals.

Social anxiety disorder is a known risk factor for developing alcoholism because alcohol consumption is used as a coping mechanism by individuals with anxiety. Shyness refers to a mild form of social anxiety and a study led by Beth Marsha sought to examine whether shy individuals were at risk of developing alcohol use disorder in the naturalistic experiment.

In the study, 97 participants were randomly divided into two groups. Participants from both groups were instructed to attend a social gathering of friends. Experimental group participants were allowed to consume alcohol as they please while participants in the control group were to remain sober. Researchers measured participants’ shyness, anxiety, and alcohol use disorder symptoms in all participants at the beginning of the study, in the middle of the experiment, and the day after.

Contrary to researchers’ expectations, alcohol consumption did not relieve much anxiety experienced by shy individuals in a social setting. Instead, shy individuals who consumed alcohol during the experiment were more likely to experience anxiety during alcohol hangover the morning after. Further, among participants dealing with hangover anxiety, highly shy individuals were more likely to exhibit alcohol use disorder symptoms.

“We know that many people drink to ease anxiety felt in social situations, but this research suggests that this might have rebound consequences the next day, with more shy individuals more likely to experience this, sometimes debilitating, aspect of hangover,” said study author Celia Morgan in a news release. “These findings also suggest that hangxiety in turn might be linked to people’s chance of developing a problem with alcohol.”

The documented link between shyness, hangover anxiety, and predisposition to alcoholism may be explained by the withdrawal-relief model maintaining that heavy hangover may stimulate further alcohol use. Because shy individuals are prone to experience more severe hangover symptoms, including increased anxiety, they face a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder. However, the fact that alcohol intoxication did not significantly reduce participants’ levels of anxiety suggests that shy individuals are unlikely to rely on alcohol to feel less anxious in social settings.

The study, “Shyness, alcohol use disorders and ‘hangxiety’: A naturalistic study of social drinkers“, was authored by Beth Marsh, Molly Carlyle, Emily Cartera, Paige Hughes, Sarah McGahey, Will Lawn, Tobias Stevens, Amy McAndrew, and Celia J.A. Morgan.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePin2Send

Get all the latest updates on new psychology research with the free PsyPost app.
 


NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

Coffee drinking is largely unrelated to psychological well-being, according to new research

The chemical imbalance theory of depression is dead, but that doesn’t mean antidepressants don’t work

Mothers’ depressive symptoms appear to affect children’s socio-emotional development, partly through parenting practices

Listening to relaxing music can improve cognitive performance, study suggests

Study identifies a robust tendency to underestimate how much others appreciate being reached out to

Robotic arms with a brain-machine interface allows partially paralyzed man to feed himself

RECENT

The chemical imbalance theory of depression is dead, but that doesn’t mean antidepressants don’t work

Listening to relaxing music can improve cognitive performance, study suggests

Study identifies facets of American conservatism that differentially predict negativity bias and life satisfaction

Robotic arms with a brain-machine interface allows partially paralyzed man to feed himself

Benevolent sexism does not appear to contribute to women’s sexual dissatisfaction

  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
Powered by

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

No Result
View All Result
  • About
    • Newsletter signup form
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • Contact
  • Contact us
  • My account
  • Privacy policy
  • Psychology news
  • PsyPost app privacy policy
  • Shop
  • SmartMag Home

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.