Alcohol consumption during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Europe: a large‐scale cross‐sectional study in 21 countries

Kilian, Carolin; Rehm, Jürgen; Allebeck, Peter; Braddick, Fleur; Gual, Antoni; Barták, Miroslav; Bloomfield, Kim; Gil, Artyom; Neufeld, Maria; O’Donnell, Amy; Petruželka, Benjamin; Rogalewicz, Vladimír; Schulte, Bernd; Manthey, Jakob; Covid,

doi:10.1111/add.15530

Cited by 129 publications

(136 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…A recent publication by Kilian et al is in agreement with our findings and confirms a decreased alcohol consumption during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic (23). The authors also implemented a cross-sectional on-line survey in a similar timeframe (April 24 to July 22, 2020) as our study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Predictors of Alcohol Consumption Among Younger Adults During the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic may lead to negative mental health effects but the effect on alcohol consumption among younger adults is unclear. We assess predictors of change in alcohol consumption during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic among younger adults.Methods: This cross-sectional internet-based survey was part of an overarching project, the Corona Drug Survey, which was conducted from April 30 to August 4, 2020. Participants of any sex and ≥18 years old were included. The primary outcome measure was change in alcohol consumption during the early COVID-19 pandemic. We implemented an ordinal logistic regression to assess the effect (odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]) of the following predictors: quarantine restrictions on leaving the residence, number of individuals in the household, problematic alcohol consumption before the pandemic (CAGE [cutting down, annoyance by criticism, guilty feeling, and eye-opener] score), personal concern regarding the pandemic, age, and sex.Results: 3,321 participants with a mean age of 32 (SD: 13) years were included in this study. 70.4% of participants reported less or unchanged alcohol consumption in the recent 4 weeks of the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. A higher number of individuals in the household was associated with a reduced alcohol consumption (OR = 0.869; 95% CI = 0.815–0.927). No quarantine restrictions on leaving the residence (OR = 1.593; 95% CI = 1.397–1.817), a higher age (1.006; 1.001-1.011), and female sex (compared to males: 1.206; 1.062–1.371) were associated with an increase in alcohol consumption. The CAGE score before the pandemic (OR = 0.983; 95% CI = 0.931–1.037) and the pandemic concern (0.927; 0.857–1.003) were not associated with a significant change in alcohol consumption. Celebrations were no longer frequent drinking occasions during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. The majority of participants (60.9%) did not use alcohol drinking as a coping mechanism to mitigate negative effects of the pandemic.Interpretation: In this cohort of younger adults with fewer celebratory drinking occasions, restrictions on leaving the residence and the number of persons in the household were the strongest predictors of reduced alcohol consumption during the early phase of the pandemic.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Predictors of Alcohol Consumption Among Younger Adults During the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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“…These results correspond with the findings from a large-scale, population-based study in the EU, which found that in the high-income groups an increase in alcohol use depended on the experience of financial distress. Individuals with a high income and no financial distress were more likely to decrease their alcohol use [29]. The privileged baseline of the present sample may be associated with more individual resources to cope functionally with any psychological distress that arose due to COVID-19 rather than using substances.…”

Section: Depressionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…In contrast, a very recent study in 21 EU countries showed that in most countries, with the exception of Ireland and the United Kingdom, there was a decrease in alcohol consumption. However, a reduction in alcohol consumption was less common among people who were particularly stressed by the pandemic [29]. Other studies also found significant associations between higher levels of psychological distress, or depressive or anxiety symptoms and an increase in alcohol use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Changes in Substance Use and Mental Health Burden among Women during the Second Wave of COVID-19 in Germany

Schecke

Fink

Bäuerle

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Unlike men, who are disproportionately affected by severe disease progression and mortality from COVID-19, women may be more affected by the economic, social and psychological consequences of the pandemic. Psychological distress and mental health problems are general risk factors for increases in the use of alcohol and other substances as a dysfunctional coping mechanism. Methods: An analysis was carried out of the female subset (n = 2153) of a population-based, cross-sectional online survey (October–December 2020), covering the “second wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Results: Among women, 23% increased their alcohol use, 28.4% increased their nicotine use and 44% increased their illicit substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty percent reported major depressive symptoms and 23.4% symptoms of generalized anxiety. Generalized anxiety proved to be a significant predictor of increases in alcohol and nicotine use in logistic regression. Discussion: The mental health burden remained high during the second wave of COVID-19 and alcohol, nicotine and other substance use increased. However, the association between mental health and substance use was weak. Psychological distress does not seem to be the main motivator of substance use.

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“…Im Studienprotokoll [17] wurde unter "Schwächen" zwar darauf hin gewiesen, dass mit diesem Ansatz nur eine willkürliche Stichprobe zustande kommt, wobei seltsamerweise gleichzeitig unter "Stär ken" vertreten wurde, dass die Studie quantitative Aussagen er mögliche. In der Studie selbst gingen die Autoren sogar noch wei ter und vertraten die Ansicht, dass die so gewonnene Stichprobe in vielerlei Hinsicht mit den Stichproben anderer Alkoholerhebun gen in der Bevölkerung vergleichbar sei [18]. Das mag für andere Erhebungen, deren Stichproben ebenfalls hochgradig verzerrt sind, zwar zutreffen, wirkt allerdings wie eine Aufforderung an die Rezi pienten, die Studienergebnisse bedenkenlos auf die Bevölkerung zu übertragen -was aus methodologischer Sicht fraglos unzuläs sig ist.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Die inadäquate Darstellung von COVID-19-Statistiken – ganz allgemein und in Zusammenhang mit Substanzkonsum und Suchtphänomenen

Uhl

2021

Suchttherapie

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Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Die COVID-19-Pandemie führt seit nunmehr eineinhalb Jahren zu dramatischen Einschränkungen und Veränderungen der Gesellschaft. Da das Thema inzwischen die Bevölkerung stark polarisiert, ist eine sachlich korrekte Information umso wichtiger. Das betrifft sowohl die Beurteilung von COVID-19-assoziierten Problemen als auch Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung der Pandemie. Im Zusammenhang mit Suchtphänomenen stellt sich die Frage, wie sich COVID-19 bisher auf Substanzkonsum und suchtbedingte Verhaltensweisen auswirkte. Methode Exemplarisch wird analysiert, wie Forschungsergebnisse in der medialen Darstellung präsentiert werden und wie die Forschung zur Information bzw. Desinformation der Bevölkerung beiträgt. Einige gängige Mediendarstellungen, die auf intuitiv-assoziativem Denken beruhen, sowie die ihnen zugrunde liegenden wissenschaftlichen Texte werden methodenkritisch hinterfragt, um einen rational-analytischen Zugang zum Thema zu unterstützen. Ergebnisse Der Diskurs zum Thema COVID-19 ist geprägt von methodologisch inadäquaten Darstellungen – nicht nur von jenen, die systematisch zur Desinformation beitragen, sondern teilweise auch von jenen, die an einem sachlich-wissenschaftlichen Umgang mit der Pandemie interessiert sind und ihre Position durch wissenschaftliche Argumente stützen wollen. Schlussfolgerung Für Wissenschaftler wie Medienarbeiter ist es notwendig, sich mit den grundlegenden methodischen Prinzipien so weit vertraut zu machen, dass sie nicht Gefahr laufen, falsche Argumente zur Verteidigung richtiger Positionen zu verwenden – denn damit würden sie die eigene Glaubwürdigkeit nachhaltig untergraben.

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Alcohol consumption during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Europe: a large‐scale cross‐sectional study in 21 countries

Cited by 129 publications

References 41 publications

Predictors of Alcohol Consumption Among Younger Adults During the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Predictors of Alcohol Consumption Among Younger Adults During the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Changes in Substance Use and Mental Health Burden among Women during the Second Wave of COVID-19 in Germany

Die inadäquate Darstellung von COVID-19-Statistiken – ganz allgemein und in Zusammenhang mit Substanzkonsum und Suchtphänomenen

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