Increased Misuse of Alcohol and Drugs among Unemployed during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Rampant unemployment in the United States brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous detrimental effect on the financial well-being of millions of Americans and their families. Personal concerns about these financial disruptions and social isolation as a precaution against the pandemic have heighted stress particularly among vulnerable groups like the unemployed. High stress situations are known triggers for maladaptive coping behaviors like use/overuse of alcohol, prescription medications, and street drugs. This study of 600 unemployed individuals found substantial increases in all three categories of mood-altering substances. Using adapted addiction symptom measurement items from the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), the researchers established comparative addiction risk profiles for each substance category. Further, the results of the study offer preliminary insights into substance abuse patterns across two and even all three of the substance categories.