Understanding alcohol use in college students: A study of mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological symptoms.

摘要

Previous studies on the relationship between alcohol use, self-esteem, and psychological symptoms have yielded contradictory and inconsistent findings. Moreover, there has been little research investigating the influence of Eastern psychological constructs such as mindfulness and self-compassion on alcohol use. This study explored these issues by examining the relationship between self-compassion, mindfulness, and drinking, while also examining the relationship between self-esteem, contingent self-esteem, narcissism and alcohol use.;Three hundred students from the Educational Psychology Subject Pool at the University of Texas at Austin participated in the study. An online series of questionnaires were used for data collection. Using path analytic techniques it was found that alcohol use is negatively correlated with psychological symptoms, self-compassion, and self-esteem. Psychological symptoms serve as a partial mediator of the association between alcohol use, self-compassion, and self-esteem. Self-compassion was also found to be a stronger predictor of psychological health than mindfulness. Theoretical, research, and clinical implications and limitations of the study are discussed and suggestions for future direction of research are made.