(PS2-95) Thinking and Drinking: Obsessive-compulsive Symptom Dimensions and Alcohol Use in College Undergraduates

Previous literature has identified a relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptom (OCS) dimensions and alcohol use among college students. Additionally, general distress has been observed as a moderator of this relationship. Studies have focused on the predictive nature of alcohol use on OCS, however, elevated rates of problematic drinking on college campuses make it pertinent to identify factors that confer risk for developing problematic alcohol use. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the predictive value of OCS dimensions on alcohol use in college undergraduates, while evaluating whether this relationship is moderated by general distress.

Participants were 133 undergraduates who completed online questionnaires consisting of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS), Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ), and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Moderated regression analyses were conducted, with each DOCS dimension (Contamination, Responsibility for Harm, Unacceptable Thoughts, and Symmetry) entered as the predictor, DASS scores as the moderator, and AUDIT scores as the outcome. Significant interactions were probed via simple slopes analyses. To provide further specificity, the Johnson-Neyman technique was used to determine the exact values of the moderator at which interactions passed into and out of the region of significance.

Analyses revealed significant interactions between DOCS-Responsibility scores (B = .03, p = .002) and DASS total scores. Simple slope analyses revealed that for those who reported lower levels of general distress, DOCS Responsibility scores significantly and negatively predicted AUDIT total scores (B = -.49, p = .009), but for those who reported average (B = -.17, p = .173) or high levels (B = .15, p = .241) of general distress, this relationship was not significant. Using the Johnson-Neyman technique, we determined that the interaction crossed back into the region of significance at DASS scores greater than 30.60 such that higher responsibility scores then significantly predicted higher AUDIT scores.
These results suggest that at low levels of general distress, more severe responsibility symptoms correspond with decreased problematic drinking, while at substantially higher than average levels of general distress, more severe responsibility symptoms are associated with increased problematic drinking. It could be that individuals with elevated responsibility symptoms and low general distress drink less to maintain control of their faculties and not risk causing harm. However, at high enough levels, the combination of responsibility symptoms and general distress may become unmanageable, prompting problematic alcohol use to cope. Findings could have implications for early identification of students at risk for problematic alcohol use. Limitations include a cross-sectional design and reliance on self-report measures. Future research should further explore the relationships between OCS, psychological distress, and problematic alcohol use among college students.