Ansiedad social consumo riesgoso de alcohol en adolescentes mexicanos

ResumenGradualmente se incrementa la investigación acerca de la fobia social, argumentando asociación entre ésta y diversas medidas de disfuncionalidad. Se obtuvieron datos sociodemográficos, mediciones de ansiedad social y de consumo de alcohol, de 3164 adolescentes mexicanos escolarizados voluntarios (hombres y mujeres) entre 12 y 18 años de edad (x¯=14.7, DE 1.7), en distinto turno escolar (matutino o vesperino) y con registro de sus actividades extracurriculares (realizar o no actividades deportivas, artísticas y tener o no una relación de noviazgo). Se formaron dos grupos de acuerdo a su calificación en la Escala de ansiedad social para adolescentes: el primero con bajo (n = 2640) (x¯=25.9, DE=5.8) y el segundo con alto grado (n = 524 ) (x¯=44.2, DE=5.7) de ansiedad social, y se compararon sus niveles de consumo de alcohol, encontrando que: contrario a lo que establece la literatura del tema en adultos, el patrón de consumo de alcohol en los grupos de adolescentes de alta y baja ansiedad social, no presentó diferencias estadísticamente significativas (X2 = 1.201, gl = 2, p = .361). Probablemente, las diferencias reportadas en el consumo de alcohol entre adultos social y no socialmente ansiosos, surjan sólo en ciertas variantes de la fobia social, o bien, se requiere de otras variables mediadoras, entre fobia social y el consumo abusivo de alcohol.

The study of social phobia is gradually increasing, arguing association between social phobia and multiple measures of dysfunction. After institutional approval, and in accordance with the ethical principles required for social research, socio-demographic data, measurements of social anxiety and alcohol consumption pattern, were obtained from 3164 Mexican adolescents volunteers (men and women) ages 12-18 years (x¯=14.7, SD 1.7), in different school schedule (morning or afternoon) and with record of their extracurricular activities” (to participate or not in sports, arts and been involved or not in a dating relationship). The participants were divided into two groups, according to the score on the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents: high (n = 524) (x¯=44.2, SD=5.7), and low (n = 2640)(x¯=25.9, SD=5.8), degree of social anxiety. Also, their levels of alcohol consumption were compared. The results of the study showed that: In contrast to the suggested by the literature in adults, the pattern of alcohol consumption in adolescents of low social anxiety group and the high social anxiety group, did not presented statistically significant differences (X2 = 1.201, gl = 2, p = .361). A likely explanation of these reported differences in drinking among socially anxious and not socially anxious adults, is that they occur only in certain variants of social phobia, or maybe, it requires other mediating variables between social phobia and alcohol abuse.