Metadehumanization, fundamental needs and coping strategies: A comparison of drinkers at low versus high risk of alcohol use disorder

Abstract

The interpersonal difficulties documented in chronic excessive drinking might foster the progression toward severe alcohol use disorder (SAUD). Characterizing these interpersonal difficulties and their commonalities with patients already presenting a diagnosed SAUD is needed to develop targeted prophylactic interventions. Patients with SAUD present metadehumanization (i.e., the perception of being considered as less than human by others), which is associated with deleterious consequences (e.g., reduced fundamental needs satisfaction, increased negative emotions, reduced self-esteem, disrupted coping strategies) involved in the persistence of this disorder. No study has investigated metadehumanization among individuals not diagnosed with SAUD but at high risk of alcohol use disorder. We measured metadehumanization, emotions, self-esteem, coping strategies, and fundamental needs threat among such high-risk drinkers (N = 86; AUDIT score higher than 15), and matched low-risk drinkers (N = 100, AUDIT score <8). Compared to low-risk drinkers, high-risk drinkers felt more dehumanized and reported increased fundamental needs threat, negative emotions, anxiety, depression, and more frequent use of both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies, including alcohol use. Mediation analyses controlling for anxiety/depression revealed that the differences in emotions and coping strategies were explained by metadehumanization and fundamental needs threat. Despite not being diagnosed with SAUD and being untreated, high-risk drinkers are more similar to patients with SAUD than to low-risk drinkers. In view of its links with factors favoring SAUD, metadehumanization should be considered in experimental studies among high-risk drinkers and treated by specific interventions.