Pressure to 'fit in' at university can hide a drinking problem, says Castle Health addiction therapist

Young people often reach treatment believing they were "too young" to have a drinking problem, says Ross McLeod, Specialist Therapist at Castle Craig (part of the Castle Health Group). As freshers' week gets underway, he says the pressure to fit in is easy to dismiss as 'FOMO', but can matter more than the buzzword suggests. Research has linked fear of missing out to whether students drink, while a recent UK study found nearly four in five students scored as moderately or severely lonely.

"People drink for a wide range of reasons, often without issues. But some drink because it allows them to 'fit in', 'be more social', 'have more fun', 'be accepted by friends'," says Ross McLeod. "When everyone around you seems to be drinking in the same way, it can be easy to convince yourself that what you're doing is normal, and it can also be easier to hide. The consequences are very important and are personal to everyone, and are often ignored or deemed 'not serious enough'."

A study of 1,408 students across five UK universities, published in npj Mental Health Research on 16 September 2025, found that 78.98% reported moderate-to-severe loneliness. That figure is close to four in five students, at a stage of life when many of them are expected to be having the time of their lives. The study also found associations between loneliness and depression, perceived stress and other psychiatric symptoms.

Separately, a two-part study published in Current Psychology in 2019 by Riordan, Flett, Cody, Conner and Scarf looked at student drinking during university orientation week in New Zealand, the equivalent of freshers' week. In the first part, researchers breathalysed students at orientation events. Fear of missing out (FOMO) didn't predict how many drinks a student had, how long they spent drinking or how much alcohol was on their breath, but it did predict whether they drank at all. In the second part of their research, students completed daily surveys across the week. Those higher in FOMO reported more negative alcohol-related consequences, even after taking into account how much they had drunk.

In other words, students with higher FOMO weren't necessarily drinking more once they started. But they were more likely to drink in the first place, and higher FOMO was also associated with experiencing more negative alcohol-related consequences.

The two studies looked at different things, but together they suggest something that anyone who remembers their own first weeks at university may recognise. For some students, the pull to drink in freshers' week has less to do with the alcohol itself and more to do with not wanting to be left out.

At heart, FOMO is a fear of being left out. Castle Health's message this freshers' week is that no student should be, whether they're out every night, staying in, or somewhere in between. That means students who don't drink having just as much to be part of, friends and parents checking in after the first week and not only during it, and support for students who are struggling carrying on long after the welcome events end.

"It is important there is an emphasis on early intervention and notably de-stigmatising drinking problems, particularly within young people," says McLeod. "I often hear it said from people in treatment that they thought they were 'too young for this'. Care that arrives early and supports people as they develop is vital."

About Castle Health Group

Castle Health is a network of private addiction and mental health treatment centres, operating Castle Craig in Scotland, Smarmore Castle in Ireland, Beroendekliniken in Sweden, Castle Craig Nederland, and Castle Health Outpatient Services. Family-run with over 40 years of experience, the group delivers expert, compassionate, evidence-based care to help patients achieve long-term recovery.

For more information, visit www.castlehealth.com or call +44 (0) 131 287 4071.

***

Lauren Meek

Content Coordinator

l.meek@castlehealth.com

+44 (0) 1721 728 134

www.castlecraig.co.uk