Mental Health Severity Is Associated with Increases in Alcohol Consumption in Young Adult Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

A survey of undergraduate students 18-25 years of age (n = 777) was conducted at a large U.S. University to assess changes in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic and associations with anxiety and depression symptom severity assessed via the GAD-7 and PHQ-9, respectively. Fifty-three percent experienced anxiety, 57% experienced depression, and 46% experienced both in the past two weeks in fall 2020. Alcohol consumption increased 54% from February to October 2020 (p < .01), most pronouncedly in students with severe anxiety (86%), severe depression (180%), or both (83%). Depression severity was associated with the largest increases in alcohol consumption during COVID-19 in students.

Automated summary

The study found that alcohol consumption among undergraduate students significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among students with severe anxiety and depression symptoms.