Abstract
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.
Highlights
Alcohol consumption and distress have increased among Canadians since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic
Most of the study participants (77.2%) were worried about them or someone close to them getting ill from COVID-19, and 69.2% of participants had financial worries
Concurrency variables indicated that higher percentages of respondents reported binge drinking and anxiety (9.7%) and increased drinking with anxiety (10%) compared to binge drinking and depression (2.2%) and increased drinking and depression (2.5%)
Summary
Alcohol consumption and distress have increased among Canadians since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of Spring 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hit many countries globally, including Canada. This led the federal and provincial authorities to implement stringent measures to limit the virus’ spread and flatten the curve. These measures included closures of schools, non-essential businesses, and community centers, resulting in most of the population being confined to their homes. Recent studies linked this pandemic and its associated consequences with increased rates of depression and anxiety [3,4,5,6]. A survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2020) among 5,470 adults in the USA showed that the percentage reporting symptoms of anxiety was three times higher than what was reported in 2019 (25.5 vs. 8.1%), and the percentage reporting symptoms of depression was about four times higher than in 2019 (24.3 vs. 6.5%) [3]
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