| Popis: |
Objective: Maternal stress and mental health challenges have increased since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began. Experts are concerned about elevated substance use (SU) given its well-known association with negative emotions, but existing research has not examined SU among mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a critical next step to inform policy and service supports given links between maternal SU and adverse family experiences. Methods: Data were collected online between April 14-28, 2020. Five-hundred and eight mothers (Mage=34.8 years, SD=5.1) with children 0-8 years old participated via the Parenting During the Pandemic study. Mothers self-reported SU change and motivations for using substances, as well as mental health symptoms. Results: Of participating mothers, 54.9% did not change, 39.2% increased, and 5.9% decreased their SU. Findings indicated mothers with an anxiety disorder or elevated anxiety symptoms were more likely to report increased SU during the pandemic. Using substances to cope with anxiety, depression, and boredom, was elevated among mothers self-reporting increased SU during the pandemic versus those reporting no change or a decrease in usage. Using substances to cope with anxiety was a risk factor for increased SU. Conclusions: Many mothers have increased their SU since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results highlight the need to treat maternal anxiety and the importance of teaching mothers coping strategies, other than using substances, to reduce the incidence of increased SU among mothers and its negative sequelae. |
