The Influence of Social Anxiety and Depression Symptoms on the Consequences of Alcohol Consumption: The Mediating Role of Drinking Motives in University Students

Introduction: Alcohol use motives among university students are associated with mental health problems, including social anxiety, depression, and harmful drinking or alcohol dependence, warranting further investigation. Objective: To examine the influence of social anxiety and depressive symptoms on alcohol-related consequences (C), mediated by drinking motives. Method: Participants included 691 Peruvian university students who consumed alcohol (M = 20.5 years, SD = 4.5), recruited from private (84 %) and public (16 %) universities in Lima and Callao. A structural equation model tested the mediating role of four drinking motives (enhancement, social, coping, and conformity), with effect sizes interpreted. Results: Coping motives fully mediated the relationship between depressive symptoms and C. Depressive symptoms significantly influenced all drinking motives and C (except conformity). Social anxiety symptoms had direct effects on enhancement, conformity, and coping motives. All motives predicted C. Conclusion: Drinking motives are pivotal in explaining alcohol use and its association with depression and social anxiety symptoms.