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

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.