People Who Drink Alone Experience More Depression and Social Anxiety

Research Results on Drinking Habits of 330 University Students
High Depression and Social Anxiety Scores...Tendency to Avoid Problems Also Observed

As the so-called 'hon-sul culture,' where young people drink alone, spreads, a study has found that hon-sul individuals experience more depression and anxiety than college students who drink with others.

On the 2nd, according to academic circles, Jeon Hye-rin, a clinical psychology trainee at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, and others recently published a paper titled "Psychological Characteristics of Solo Drinking and Social Drinking Groups" in the academic journal Korean Journal of Psychology.

The research team classified 330 college students in Seoul into four types: hon-sul, social drinking, concurrent drinking, and low-risk drinking groups. This classification was based on the results of the Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-K) scores and drinking habits survey.

If the frequency of hon-sul was two to three times or more per month and drinking with friends or acquaintances ('social drinking') was less frequent, the individual was classified as part of the 'hon-sul group.' Conversely, if social drinking occurred two to three times or more per month and hon-sul was less frequent, they were classified as the 'social drinking group.' Those who engaged in both social drinking and hon-sul two to three times or more per month were categorized as the 'concurrent drinking group.'

Analysis showed that the depression score of the hon-sul group was 28.08 points, which exceeded that of the social drinking group (16.45 points) and the low-risk drinking group (17.97 points).

The social anxiety score, which measures fear experienced in social interactions, was also higher in the hon-sul group at 46.67 points compared to the social drinking (27.64 points), concurrent drinking (33.13 points), and low-risk (32.56 points) groups. Additionally, the hon-sul group showed a stronger tendency to avoid and deny problematic situations compared to the social drinking group.

The research team stated, "We were able to confirm that the hon-sul group experiences more anxiety in social settings and tends to distance themselves from interpersonal relationships," adding, "This is significant in that it reveals psychological factors associated with hon-sul, which is known as a risk and relapse factor for alcohol use disorder."

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