The COVID-19 pandemic has altered fundamental aspects of society due to the nature of precautions necessary to prevent greater numbers of infection and mortality. Coping mechanisms for these stark changes in day-to-day life vary tremendously, and some researchers have turned their attention to substance use as a potentially modified form of human behavior stemming from the disease’s advent. Stress related to isolation and reduced public activity has been suggested to increase during the pandemic’s tenure, and students are thought to be particularly susceptible to these changes. This study examines the associations between stress, social environment differences, and alcohol use in young adults impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study’s sample consists of 439 undergraduate students from a large university in North Carolina who completed surveys during two time periods: October 2019-February 2020 and June-July of 2020, three months after initial campus closures were issued (n= 439). Surveys were administered online and contained questions which measured the following variables: demographics, alcohol use/binge drinking (via Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System), general stress, COVID-19-related stress, social isolation, social support (via Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), coping mechanisms (via the Brief Resilient Coping Scale), depression (via Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale), and anxiety (via Generalized Anxiety Disorder assessment). Data analysis was performed using F-tests and logistic regression modelling.
Results of the study found alcohol use and binge drinking decreased following stay-at-home order issuance, and that COVID-19-related stress did not affect drinking outcomes. An exception was that difficulties related to distance learning did correlate with increased drinking behaviors. Greater adherence to social distancing protocols was associated with decreased alcohol use and binge drinking, while greater social support measures were associated with increased drinking measures, including binge drinking. Students who had previously reported using alcohol or other substances to cope were also more likely to use these methods to cope after the pandemic began.
Takeaway: COVID-19 protocols for social isolation have modified college student behaviors in various manners. Additional research is needed to understand a greater scope of these effects in this population.