Study: How the COVID-19 pandemic influenced alcohol consumption among individuals in outpatient treatment

Congratulations to Professors Clara Bradizza and Paul Stasiewicz, Visiting Assistant Professor Braden Linn, PhD student Charles LaBarre and colleagues on the publication of their study, "The Influence of COVID-19 on Alcohol Consumption among Individuals in Outpatient Treatment: Emerging Clinical Practices," in Best Practices in Mental Health.

LaBarre, C., Stasiewicz, P. R., Linn, B. K., Zhao, J., Wilding, G. E., & Bradizza, C. M. (2022). The influence of COVID-19 on alcohol consumption among individuals in outpatient treatment: Emerging clinical practices. Best Practices in Mental Health.

During the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were widely reported increases in alcohol consumption among the general population. However, little research has assessed the pandemic's impact on individuals enrolled in alcohol treatment.

Participants (N = 48) in an outpatient alcohol treatment program completed interviews at the end of treatment, during which they responded to open-ended questions assessing how COVID-19 affected their drinking. These responses were converted into categorical variables: COVID-19 increased drinking or COVID-19 decreased or had no impact on drinking.

Most participants indicated that COVID-19 increased their drinking. A content analysis revealed three main themes: drinking in response to stress, drinking in response to boredom and the impact of being in treatment on drinking. This investigation aimed to illuminate emerging clinical treatment practices, including screening approaches and tailored interventions that help populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic.