When picturing a "typical" alcoholic, people tend to imagine a person drinking at home alone. But that focus overlooks the social origins of many serious alcohol problems, say the authors of a new review paper in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science.

"Evidence for the centrality of social motives in problem drinking surrounds us," write the authors, Catharine Fairbairn, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Dahyeon Kang, of the University of Washington. "While solitary drinking might serve as a useful early indicator of alcohol use disorder risk … research suggests that individuals reliably consume more alcohol in social contexts than when alone."

The concept of problem drinkers being solitary drinkers dominates depictions of alcoholism in popular culture and influences the design of scientific studies, the authors note.

"Within the realm of alcohol use disorder research, basic scientific studies of the solitary drinker outnumber studies of the social drinker by a factor of nearly tenfold, and theories of problem drinking seek to explain alcohol use disorder via broadly asocial mechanisms," they write.

People tend to assume that "the mere presence of other individuals exerts a beneficial effect" that tempers the desire to overindulge when drinking, Fairbairn said. This concept also provides some cover for those who would rather not feel responsible for acquaintances who drink excessively in social settings.

It is true that solitary drinking is a hallmark of some of the most severe cases of alcohol use disorder, "but focusing exclusively on solitary drinking ignores behaviours responsible for the majority of alcohol-related societal harms," she said.

Young people are often initiated into the world of alcohol consumption by their peers, and heavy drinkers tend to seek out other heavy drinkers to indulge in their habit together, the authors write. Scientific studies also suggest that people tend to consume more alcohol in social settings than in private.

"Some of the most serious negative consequences from alcohol use are linked specifically with social consumption," they write. "In particular, alcohol-related violence, risky sex, and extreme binge drinking are all primarily or exclusively social-drinking phenomena," as are traffic-related fatalities.

Alcohol use may quell anxiety and lower inhibition, potentially enhancing social experiences. These qualities reinforce its role as a tool for fostering feelings of social connectedness, the authors note. Studies have shown that those who report the highest levels of enjoyment from drinking in social situations are also more likely to develop alcohol-related problems. There is also evidence that people turn to alcohol to salvage troubled relationships.

The authors point to the many alcohol-related social attractions and potential harms as an example that may be repeated with other once-illicit substances like cannabis that are now gaining social acceptance.

"As an addictive drug that enjoys an extraordinary level of integration into human social life, alcohol foreshadows legal and medical dilemmas ahead," they write.