Psychological distress is associated with 1-item hangover severity, but not the severity of somatic symptom clusters

Royle, S ORCID: 0000-0002-3170-3759, Keenan, GS ORCID: 0000-0002-3940-7401, Bendall, RCA ORCID: 0000-0001-9177-7007, Owen, L and Marrow, LP (2026) Psychological distress is associated with 1-item hangover severity, but not the severity of somatic symptom clusters. Alcohol, 133. pp. 87-98. ISSN 0741-8329

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Abstract

Alcohol hangover, the physical and psychological symptoms experienced after a single drinking episode, have been associated with pain catastrophising which may suggest a role of psychological distress in hangover experience. Interactions between alcohol hangover experience and psychological distress may have implications for drinking behaviours and future health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic caused increases in psychological distress and may therefore have also altered peoples experience of hangover. This study investigated relationships between income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, psychological distress, maladaptive coping, and hangover symptom severity using cross-sectional survey data. Structural equation modelling indicated a direct relationship between psychological distress and a one-item measure of hangover severity, as well as an indirect effect via maladaptive coping. Unexpectedly, maladaptive coping related negatively with the one-item hangover severity measure. Comparatively, no relationships were observed between psychological distress or maladaptive coping with measures of the severity of hangover symptom clusters. Differing relationships observed between psychological distress/maladaptive coping and hangover severity measurements may be due to the broader nature of the one-item hangover severity measure, in comparison to ratings of specific hangover symptoms included in the hangover symptom clusters. Collectively, these results provide novel insight into the complex relationships between psychological distress, coping, and different measures of hangover severity. They also highlight methodological considerations in measuring hangover severity. Future research should replicate these findings in more diverse samples and further explore biological and cognitive outcomes linked to hangover measurements.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Alcohol hangover; COVID-19; Coping; Distress; Hangover; 5203 Clinical and Health Psychology; 52 Psychology; Women's Health; Mental Health; Behavioral and Social Science; Substance Misuse; Coronaviruses; Coronaviruses Disparities and At-Risk Populations; Alcoholism, Alcohol Use and Health; Social Determinants of Health; Clinical Research; 2.3 Psychological, social and economic factors; 3 Good Health and Well Being; 1109 Neurosciences; 1117 Public Health and Health Services; Substance Abuse; 3209 Neurosciences; 5202 Biological psychology; 5203 Clinical and health psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Psychology (from Sep 2019)
Publisher:	Elsevier
Date of acceptance:	5 April 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	30 April 2026
Date Deposited:	30 Apr 2026 10:45
Last Modified:	30 Apr 2026 10:45
DOI or ID number:	10.1016/j.alcohol.2026.04.002
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28499

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