Increased alcohol use to cope with COVID-19-related anxiety one year into the coronavirus pandemic.

Autor:	Aan Het Rot M; Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands., Baltariu IC; Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands., Enea V; Department of Psychology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT [Nordisk Alkohol Nark] 2023 Apr; Vol. 40 (2), pp. 146-159. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Feb 03.
DOI:	10.1177/14550725221147111
Abstrakt:	Background: An increase in drinking to cope with anxiety provoked by the coronavirus was observed during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: In the present study, we examined the role of drinking motives in the anxiety-alcohol link one year into the pandemic. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we collected data between April and May 2021: 678 participants located in Romania or the Netherlands completed an online survey on alcohol consumption in the past month (assessed using a simple quantity-frequency measure), change in drinking during the past year (assessed using a single item asking whether there had been an increase, decrease or no change), drinking motives (assessed using the Revised Drinking Motives Questionnaire), drinking-related problems (assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test), and COVID-19-related anxiety (assessed using the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale). Results: Compared to before the pandemic, while 42% of participants had decreased their alcohol consumption, 15% reported an increase. Participants with clinically relevant COVID-19-related anxiety (11%) were more likely to drink to cope with negative affect, enhance positive affect, and conform to others. The association between COVID-19-related anxiety and drinking-related problems was specifically moderated by drinking to cope, such that the anxiety-alcohol link was stronger in participants who endorsed this drinking motive more. Conclusion: Drinking is a maladaptive coping strategy for individuals with high levels of COVID-19-related anxiety. These individuals might benefit from interventions involving the learning of healthier skills to deal with the ongoing pandemic. Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. (© The Author(s) 2023.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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