Longer time spent at home during COVID-19 pandemic is associated with binge drinking among US adults

Weerakoon, Sitara M.; Jetelina, Katelyn K.; Knell, Gregory

doi:10.1080/00952990.2020.1832508

Cited by 95 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 32 publications

(32 reference statements)

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“…Thus, income may be a predictor of concurrency more because of boredom and access and not as a coping mechanism for anxiety as higher income individuals are less worried financially and their distress levels are lower. This aligns with previous studies which indicated that people with a higher income reported consuming more alcohol during the pandemic than those of the lower income (47)(48)(49)(50)(51). This finding is consistent with behavior economics theory, an approach that explores conditions and factors influencing the consumption of commodities (52,53) including alcohol intake (54), although, concurrent mental illness has not been examined in these models.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Psychological and Demographic Determinants of Substance Use and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mougharbel

Sampasa‐Kanyinga

Heidinger

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

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Background: Alcohol consumption and distress have increased among Canadians since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We examined whether sociodemographic and COVID-19-related worries are associated with various combinations of alcohol consumption and comorbid psychological distress variables among a Canadian sample of adults. Data were derived from a sample of Canadian adults (N = 1,005, 49.6% female) who participated in an online survey in May 2020. Four multivariate ordinal logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of binge drinking, increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, and psychological distress. Predictor variables used in the analyses included self-reported sociodemographic characteristics, financial worries, COVID-19 impact on work, and worrying about getting ill.Results: Women were found to have higher odds of increased drinking and anxiety. Also being divorced, separated, or widowed was associated with higher odds of binge drinking and anxiety, and binge drinking and depression. Furthermore, being 60 or older was associated with lower odds of binge drinking and depression and increased drinking and depression, as well as lower odds of increased drinking and depression and increased drinking and anxiety. High income groups were associated with higher odds of binge drinking, increased drinking, and mental distress. Compared to those less worried, being very worried about finances were associated with higher odds of binge drinking and anxiety, increased drinking and anxiety, and increased drinking and depression. Also, being very worried about getting ill with COVID was associated with higher odds of binge drinking and anxiety and increased drinking and anxiety.Conclusion: Our findings identify several demographic and COVID-related worries for increased odds of alcohol intake and co-morbid psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, including identifying as a woman, high income groups, being divorced, separated or widowed, and experiencing financial worries and COVID illness worries. These characteristics should be considered when developing prevention and treatment programs for adults with problematic alcohol use and comorbid anxiety and depression.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Psychological and Demographic Determinants of Substance Use and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mougharbel

Sampasa‐Kanyinga

Heidinger

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

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“…This is at odds with what the heavy drinkers in the qualitative sample described, which may be due to either the different measurement approaches (a general reflection on change in the qualitative interviews vs. completion of 2 weekly grids assessing pre-post drinking), differences between the universities from which these students were drawn, or other characteristics of the samples. It is also inconsistent with studies with adult samples showing heavier drinkers were more likely to report increases in pandemicspecific drinking than non-HED drinkers (Holmes, 2020;Weerakoon et al, 2020). Taking the findings from both our samples together, results suggest that on the one hand, COVID-19 departures from campus may have been protective for heavier drinkers, resulting in drinking behavior that is less risky.…”

Section: Changes In Drinking Behaviorcontrasting

confidence: 99%

Changes in Alcohol Use and Drinking Context due to the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Multimethod Study of College Student Drinkers

Jackson

Merrill

Stevens

et al. 2021

Alcoholism Clin & Exp Res

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Background: In spring 2020, U.S. universities closed campuses to limit the transmission of COVID-19, resulting in an abrupt change in residence, reductions in social interaction, and in many cases, movement away from a heavy drinking culture. The present mixed-methods study explores COVID-19-related changes in college student drinking. We characterize concomitant changes in social and location drinking contexts and describe reasons attributed to changes in drinking.Methods: We conducted two studies of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drinking behavior, drinking context, and reasons for both increases and decreases in consumption among college students. Study 1 (qualitative) included 18 heavy-drinking college students (M age = 20.2; 56% female) who completed semi-structured interviews. Study 2 (quantitative) included 312 current and former college students who reported use of alcohol and cannabis (M age = 21.3; 62% female) and who completed an online survey.Results: In both studies, COVID-19-related increases in drinking frequency were accompanied by decreases in quantity, heavy drinking, and drunkenness. Yet, in Study 2, although heavier drinkers reduced their drinking, among non-heavy drinkers several indices of consumption increased or remained stable . Both studies also provided evidence of reductions in social drinking with friends and roommates and at parties and increased drinking with family. Participants confirmed that their drinking decreased due to reduced social opportunities and/or settings, limited access to alcohol, and reasons related to health and self-discipline. Increases were attributed to greater opportunity (more time) and boredom and to a lesser extent, lower perceived risk of harm and to cope with distress.Conclusion: This study documents COVID-19-related changes in drinking among college student drinkers that were attributable to changes in context, particularly a shift away from heavy drinking with peers to lighter drinking with family. Given the continued threat of COVID-19, it is imperative for researchers, administrators, and parents to understand these trends as they may have lasting effects on college student drinking behaviors.

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“…However, it was essentially unchanged for those not under restrictions ( 46 ). Noticeably, an online survey of 1,982 participants in the US reported that the duration spent at home during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with odds of binge drinking ( 21 ), defined as having more than five (man) or four (woman) drinks on one occasion ( 47 ). Similarly, a mental health survey by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare recently reported that the frequency of alcohol use by heavy/frequent drinkers increased over time during the lockdown ( 22 ).…”

Section: Problematic Alcohol Consumption During the Covid-19 Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problematic Use of Alcohol and Online Gaming as Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mini Review

Park

Kang

et al. 2021

Front. Psychiatry

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The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has dramatically changed our daily lives and activities, including those originally intended to serve for leisure and pleasure. Drinking and online gaming became coping behaviors used to rescue ourselves from the stress and restricted lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, frequent drinking and gaming can result in the pathological consequences of addiction. Those affected use the stimuli not to obtain pleasure, but rather to avoid the displeasure induced by stress and previous use, often unsuccessfully. This review aims to provide an overview of recent longitudinal cohort studies on alcohol and gaming use during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to analyze how the pandemic has affected alcohol and gaming use. There was a substantial risk of alcohol and online gaming overuse during the lockdown, which may depend on the pandemic's duration or overuse patterns. Previous studies have shown that increased alcohol consumption and online gaming are associated with heightened stress and anxiety levels caused by social isolation/quarantine. Over time, frequent or excessive alcohol consumption and gaming could lead to an increased risk of more serious mental health problems. Every effort should be made to mitigate mental health problems and ensure adequate adaptation to these exceptional circumstances. Therefore, it would be helpful to encourage physical activity, social interaction, and collaboration to facilitate psychological and physical health.

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Longer time spent at home during COVID-19 pandemic is associated with binge drinking among US adults

Cited by 95 publications

References 32 publications

Psychological and Demographic Determinants of Substance Use and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Psychological and Demographic Determinants of Substance Use and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Changes in Alcohol Use and Drinking Context due to the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Multimethod Study of College Student Drinkers

Problematic Use of Alcohol and Online Gaming as Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mini Review

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