Study investigates prevalence and underlying belief patterns associated with drunk driving

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.May 15, 2020

Mojitos, Appletini’s, or Glasses of Simple Fizz-They may round off a busy day, but if you notice that you spend a few days, you may find that according to a new study in college your physical and mental May endanger physical health in South Australia.

Investigating the drinking patterns of 479 Australian female college students aged 18-24 years, the world’s first empirical study used an irregular pattern of feeding to offset the negative effects of drinking, harmful and dangerous Drunkorexia is a habit of consuming excessive alcohol, such as gaining weight.

In this regard, the researchers found that a staggering 82.7% of the female college students surveyed had been engaged in drinking-hypersensitivity behavior for the past three months. Also, over 28% regularly and intentionally skip meals, drink low-calorie or sugar-free alcoholic beverages, and purge or exercise after drinking at least 25% of the time to reduce calories from alcohol I was doing it.

Alycia Powell-Jones, a clinical psychologist and Principal Investigator at UniSA, said there is concern about the prevalence of drinking-resistant behavior among female college students in Australia. Depending on their age and stage of development, they are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour. This includes drinking too much alcohol, ”Powell Jones said.

“ Excessive alcohol consumption is very dangerous in combination with restricted and disturbed dietary patterns and can cause serious problems such as hypoglycemia, cirrhosis, malnutrition, brain and heart damage, memory loss, power outages, depression and cognitive function. A deficit that can dramatically increase the risk of producing significant physical and psychological consequences.

“ Sure, many of us are drinking too much alcohol at some point, and the mood of the next day alone knows that this isn’t good for us, but 3 of the young female uni students Nearly one-third deliberately return to food to purely offset the calories of alcohol. It’s a serious health problem. “

The harmful use of alcohol is a global problem, and overdose can cause millions of deaths, including thousands of young lives.

In Australia, one in six people consumes dangerous levels of alcohol, which poses a lifetime risk of alcohol-related illnesses and injuries. The combination of excessive alcohol intake and restricted dietary behavior due to calorie restriction could result in a very toxic cocktail for this population.

The study was conducted in two stages. The first measures the prevalence of self-reported, compensatory and restricted activities associated with alcohol consumption.

The second stage identified the participant’s initial maladaptive scheme (EMS) or thought pattern. It turns out that the most predictable subsets of Drunkorexia’s schema are “insufficient self-regulation,” “emotional deprivation,” and “social isolation.”

Powell-Jones says identifying the initial maladaptive schema linked to Drunkorexia is the key to understanding the harmful conditions.

These are deeply held and pervasive themes regarding our relationship with one another and can develop in childhood and then affect all areas of life in a dysfunctional manner. .. Early maladaptive schemas can also be affected by cultural and social norms.

Alcoholic behavior appears to be motivated by two important social norms in young adults-alcohol intake and leanness.

This study provided preliminary insights into how young women adults make these decisions and better understand why they engage in drunk behavior.

Managing social anxiety through being accepted and meeting a group of peers and cultural expectations is not only a coping strategy, but also showing reliance on avoidance coping strategies.

Clinicians, educators, parents, and friends can recognize factors that motivate young women to engage in this harmful and dangerous behavior, including cultural norms, beliefs that increase self-worth, sense of belonging, and interpersonal relationships. It is important.

Working together, researchers and clinicians can develop appropriate clinical interventions to help vulnerable youth within the youth mental health sector. “

Alycia Powell-Jones, Clinical Psychologist, Principal Investigator at UniSA