Alcohol Use Dynamics During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated profound shifts in alcohol consumption patterns worldwide, reflecting the interplay of social restrictions, psychological stress and economic uncertainty. At the population level, many regions reported marked declines in average consumption and heavy episodic drinking during strict lockdowns, driven in part by reduced availability of on-trade venues and curbs on social gatherings. However, these aggregate gains masked divergent trajectories among subgroups. Individuals with pre-existing heavy drinking or an alcohol use disorder (AUD) often maintained or escalated their use, compounded by heightened distress, social isolation and disruption of treatment services. Women, in particular, exhibited notable increases in frequency of drunkenness when confronted with caregiving burdens, occupational stress or diminished social support. Conversely, some low-risk drinkers reduced intake owing to health concerns, financial constraints or diminished social drinking occasions. Across settings, economic hardship and elevated psychological distress emerged as consistent predictors of both increased and sustained high-risk consumption, underscoring the need for targeted public health interventions as societies transition beyond the acute phase of the pandemic.
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Alcohol Use Dynamics During the COVID-19 Pandemic publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in alcohol use dynamics during the covid-19 pandemic across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD): A medical condition characterised by impaired control over drinking, persistent use despite harm and physiological dependence.
Binge drinking: Consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period, often defined as five or more standard drinks for men, or four or more for women, within about two hours.
Heavy episodic drinking: A pattern of alcohol consumption involving intake that substantially elevates blood alcohol concentration, typically overlapping with the definition of binge drinking.
Meta-analysis: A statistical method that combines results from multiple studies to derive a pooled estimate of effect size, enhancing precision and generalisability.
References
- COVID-19 pandemic stressors are associated with reported increases in frequency of drunkenness among individuals with a history of alcohol use disorder. Translational Psychiatry (2023).
- Changes in alcohol use during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Europe: A meta‐analysis of observational studies. Drug and Alcohol Review (2022).
- Addiction psychiatry and COVID-19: impact on patients and service provision. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine (2020).
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