Perceived Stress Level and Addictive Behaviors Among Korean College Students: The Mediating Role of Sensation Seeking

Background: College students in emerging adulthood experience a great deal of stress during the transition period from developmental tasks as well as social and familial expectations, including having to establish a mature identity, achieve economic independence (e.g., employment), and maintain intimate relationships. Previous research suggests that these individuals are likely to present various addictive behaviors such as excessive drinking or problematic Internet use as a way to cope with high level of stress. While sensation seeking behaviors are personal traits associated with the tendency to seek novel, varied, complex, and intense sensations and the willingness to take risks for the sake of such experience, they are also often linked with deviant behaviors that violate legal norms, including binge drinking, Internet game addiction, or obsession with sexual stimuli. Our study examined the role of sensation seeking in understanding the impact of perceived stress level on addictive behaviors (i.e., problem drinking and excessive Internet use) among Korean college students. 

Methods: The sample included 870 college students (65.6% males; 34.4% females) from 14 universities throughout the nation. Through stratification, three similar universities were selected per region (Kangwon province included two universities) from five different regions. Trained research assistants explained the purpose of the study, the voluntary nature of participation, confidentiality, and informed consent processes to all participants. Perceived stress was measured via seven question items specifically on stress using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (DASS-21, Cronbach’s alpha of .867). Problem drinking was assessed using Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT, α=.875), Internet addiction using the Korean Internet Addictions Scale (KIAS, α=.834), and Sensation Seeking Scale-V (SSS-V, α=.871) for measuring sensation seeking behaviors. Structural Equation Modeling was performed to evaluate the fit of the model with data and to examine the mediating effect of sensation seeking. 

Results: Results showed a satisfactory model fit [(Model χ² (146) =694.71, p<.001, CMIN/d.f.= 4.758, GFI = .917, CFI = .908, IFI = .910, RMSEA = .065)]. Controlling for gender, greater perceived level of stress was associated with problem drinking (β=.45, p<.001) and Internet use (β=1.10, p<.001). While sensation seeking mediated between the perceived level of stress and problem drinking, there was least evidence to suggest its mediating effect between stress and Internet use. 

Implications: Findings showed the role of perceived stress level and sensation seeking on problem drinking in college students, and the impact of stress on excessive Internet use. Sensation seeking mediated between perceived stress level and alcohol use. These results suggest social workers need to pay special attention to young adults who are at this stage less equipped with coping strategies, whilst alcohol permissive college campus culture is widespread in Korea. Implications for campus alcohol policy and college-community collaborative planning and intervention strategies are discussed. Future studies may longitudinally examine how sensation seeking and Internet use change across time and their influence on addictive behaviors for increased competence in serving the population at risk.