Prof. Hyeouk Chris Hahm Studies Heavy Alcohol Use Among Young Women During Pandemic
During Covid lockdowns, many marginalized communities suffered from heightened pandemic-related stress, especially women who were exposed to more intimate partner violence, loss of employment, and increased housework while stuck in their homes. In a study titled ‘Psychological Distress and Heavy Alcohol Consumption Among U.S. Young Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic,’ Prof. Hyeouk Chris Hahm studied how the stress of the pandemic has led women to be at particular risk of heavy drinking. The study, published in the Women’s Health Issues Journal, found that women who suffered from a deeper sense of psychological distress were more prone to heavy drinking, and interventions may help decrease the chances of them engaging in risky behaviors.
The Link Between Stress & Heavy Drinking
People cope with distress in many different ways, however some coping mechanisms–such as drinking alcohol–can have more harm than others. Heavy drinking is of particular concern because it can lead to other health problems like liver disease, heart disease, and cancer. The mental toll of heavy drinking can also worsen suicidal thoughts and increase chances of engaging in problematic behavior such as violence. In addition, drinking alcohol can lead to cyclical behaviors: stress leads to drinking, which leads to more stress from the negative side effects of drinking, and so on.
Studies show that women are more likely than men to consume alcohol to cope with stress, a trend that increased during the pandemic. The pandemic widened gender imbalances in the division of labor and women took on more caregiving obligations, homeschooling and domestic tasks, while also dealing with loss of employment and increased rates of intimate partner violence. To deal with increased stress, women consumed more alcohol more frequently.
How Pandemic Stress Affects Risky Behavior
The researchers focused on different stressors like Covid-related grief, Covid-related worry, and financial stress. These emotions were surveyed through scales of strongly agree to strongly disagree for statements related to:
- Missing out on significant life events
- Losing vital resources like housing
- Worry about contracting COVID-19 and its treatment
- Worry about their cities going into lockdown
- Stress about personal finances
Participants were also asked about preexisting conditions like depressive and anxiety symptoms, loneliness, and drinking habits.
Young women who reported heavy drinking also reported statistically high levels of Covid-related grief and depressive and anxiety symptoms. “Our findings support the self-medication hypothesis, that an individual may engage in substance use as a coping device to help relieve or numb negative emotions, including one’s own pain and suffering,” say the authors. However, the study also found that, contrary to their hypothesis, participants with higher levels of Covid-related worry and fear were more likely to report non-heavy drinking than heavy drinking. “It is plausible that individuals with greater COVID-19–related worry or fear were more vigilant about their health and overall well-being, thereby refraining from heavy drinking.”
Additionally, financial stress was not shown to be linked to heavy drinking, and the researchers highlight how stimulus payments may have relieved the effects of this stress. “An alternative interpretation,” say the authors, “is that those who are financially stressed or stretched were living at their parents’ home and, therefore, not necessarily in an environment where they would engage in binge drinking.”
Future Research
The researchers highlighted opportunities for future research to further examine stressors linked to heavy drinking. The study used data sourced from the COVID-19 Adult Resilience Experiences Study (CARES) database that collected information from 684 women aged 18 to 30, from April 13, 2020, to August 31, 2020 and September 21, 2020, to March 15, 2021. A more diverse sample may provide insight into the general population. In addition, the scales used to measure grief did not examine specific features of grief, like ambiguous loss (uncertainty about the current situation) and complicated grief (persistent feelings of loss). Future research may find nuances among which types of grief affect alcohol consumption.
In addition, this study relied on self-reporting which could be influenced by biases. Future research could explore the frequency or the amount of alcohol participants drink, which could give more accurate information on alcohol-related behaviors. Considering motivations and attitudes behind drinking or any genetic dispositions to over-consume alcohol could also give a more accurate view of this trend.