psychiatry in the UArizona
Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, found that hazardous alcohol use and likely dependence increased every month for those under lockdowns compared to those not under restrictions. Being under lockdown during a worldwide pandemic has been hard on everyone, and many people are relying on greater quantities of alcohol to ease their distress, said Dr. Killgore. We found that younger people were the most susceptible to increased alcohol use during the pandemic, which could set them on the dangerous path toward long-term alcohol dependence.
The paper,
Psychiatry Research.
Sara Cloonan,
Daniel Lucas and
Natalie Dailey, PhD, surveyed 5,931 adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each month, roughly 1,000 participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), a 10-item questionnaire that is used to detect hazardous drinking in adults.
Harmful alcohol use has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic
Experts worry about how heavier drinking will affect the dynamic in consumers’ homes 02/16/2021
Photo (c) alvarez - Getty ImagesSince the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, several studies have highlighted the increase in consumers’ drinking habits.
Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona has found that the pandemic has prompted many consumers to use alcohol in harmful ways.
“Being under lockdown during a worldwide pandemic has been hard on everyone, and many people are relying on greater quantities of alcohol to ease their distress,” said researcher William Killgore, PhD. “We found that younger people were the most susceptible to increased alcohol use during the pandemic, which could set them on the dangerous path toward long-term alcohol dependence.”