Employment, coronavirus victimization distress, and substance use disorders among black and non-Hispanic White young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Substance abuse among young adults increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although pre-pandemic data indicate non-Hispanic White adults had higher levels of substance use disorder (SUD), Black adults suffered more serious consequences. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new stressors that may contribute to SUD, especially among Black young adults, including employment as essential workers, which may be related to victimization distress associated with the coronavirus (i.e., coronavirus victimization distress). The current study administered an anonymous, cross-sectional, online survey to a national sample of 132 Black and 141 non-Hispanic White adults 18 − 25 years to assess the relationship between health, economic disparities, employment, coronavirus victimization distress, and substance use during the first wave of the pandemic. Controlling for COVID-19 health risks and income, structural equation models indicated that coronavirus victimization distress fully accounted for the positive association between employment and SUD risk, and this association was more pronounced among Black young adults. Findings underscore the urgency of considering disease-related victimization in SUD interventions involving employed young adults during infectious disease pandemics.