Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to explore the distinct roles of guilt and shame in alcohol misuse among high-risk college students, specifically hypothesizing that individuals with higher levels of shame proneness will experience increased alcohol-related problems, while those with higher levels of guilt proneness will exhibit lower levels of such problems.
Methodology: The research involved a sample of 590 undergraduate students from a large southern public university. Participants were eligible if they reported at least one heavy drinking episode in the past month. They were assessed for their levels of shame and guilt proneness, negative emotional expression, and the extent of alcohol-related problems using validated self-report instruments, including the Tests of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA-2) for measuring guilt and shame, and the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (BYAACQ) for alcohol-related issues. Generalized linear models were employed to determine the relationship between these variables.
Key Findings: Results revealed that shame-proneness is statistically significant and uniquely associated with an increase in alcohol-related problems, while guilt-proneness was not. Negative emotional expression was independently associated with alcohol-related problems, highlighting its significance in understanding drinking consequences. The analysis revealed no statistically significant interaction effects between guilt and shame with negative emotional expression, indicating that these factors contribute to alcohol-related issues in an additive manner rather than multiplicatively. Specifically, individuals exhibiting any one of these emotional challenges—guilt, shame, or difficulties in emotional expression—demonstrated elevation in the rates of drinking problems. However, the presence of multiple issues did not exacerbate the severity of alcohol related problems but instead illustrated a cumulative risk.