Alcohol, cannabis use higher among college students after COVID-19 lockdowns
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College students had significantly higher alcohol and cannabis use, depressive symptoms and anger during the COVID-19 lockdown compared with before it, according to results of a survey study published in Journal of Psychiatric Research.
“We had been collecting data on substance use and mental health from a sample of college students, and we had this data collection ongoing when COVID-19-related university closures hit in March 2020,” Ty S. Schepis, PhD, of the department of psychology at Texas State University, told Healio Psychiatry. “We were interested in looking at differences between the students prior to their university closing vs. those who provided data after the closures. To be clear, these were different groups of students (the pre- and post-COVID-19 students), so our results are limited by that."
Prior studies showed significant rates of COVID-19-related stressors among college students. These included transitioning to virtual learning, unstable or unexpected housing situations, cancelled or delayed college events and impediments to accessing mental health treatment on campus. Small sample sizes limited prior studies on self-reported changes in mental health symptoms related to increases in stress and mood disorder symptoms. Moreover, studies of alcohol use in the U.S. among college students showed conflicting results regarding COVID-19-related changes.
In the current study, Schepis and colleagues sought to assess differences in mental health symptoms, alcohol use and cannabis use before and after COVID-19-related college campus closures. They included 4,749 participants (70.1% women; 48.5% white, non-Hispanic/Latino; 48.1% freshmen) from seven U.S. public universities and colleges. Further, they captured 30-day retrospective evaluations of alcohol and cannabis use, as well as past 2-week retrospective evaluations of anxiety, depression, anger and insomnia. Using linear and negative binomial regressions, Schepis and colleagues investigated differences between participants who provided data before and after university closure.
Results showed increases of 13% and 24% in alcohol and cannabis use days, respectively, compared with before and after university closure. The post-closure group had higher prevalence of any 30-day alcohol use (OR = 1.34) and alcohol use consequences (OR = 1.31). However, the post-closure group had 4% lower days of binge alcohol use.
Schepis and colleagues reported modestly higher depressive symptoms and anger among post-closure participants, with no anxiety symptom or insomnia differences.
“It is important to note that our data extended through about the first 10 weeks after schools closed," Schepis said. "So much has happened since then that these results would probably be different now. Our results suggest that students were generally resilient in the short term post-COVID-19 university closures, but we suggest that universities need to have plans in place to continue care for those receiving mental health and substance use treatment if another university closure occurs."