@article{ref1,
title="Unhealthy alcohol use among adults with depression or anxiety: changes during COVID-19 and associations with mental health treatment",
journal="Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs",
year="2024",
author="Satre, Derek D. and Palzes, Vanessa A. and Chi, Felicia W. and Kline-Simon, Andrea H. and Campbell, Cynthia I. and Doren, Natalia Van and Weisner, Constance and Sterling, Stacy",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: Individuals with unhealthy alcohol use and comorbid depression or anxiety may be vulnerable to alcohol use escalation in times of stress such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Among a cohort of individuals with pre-pandemic unhealthy drinking, we compared changes in alcohol use by whether people had a depression or anxiety diagnosis, and examined whether mental health treatment was related to these changes. <br><br>METHODS: Using electronic health record data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, we analyzed drinking changes during the pandemic (3/1/2020-6/30/2022) among adults identified in primary care with unhealthy alcohol use (exceeding daily/weekly recommended limits) pre-pandemic (1/1/2019-2/29/2020). Outcomes were mean changes in number of heavy drinking days (prior three months), drinks/week, drinks/day, and drinking days/week. Multivariable linear regression models were fit to: 1) compare outcomes of patients with depression or anxiety diagnoses to those without, and 2) among patients with depression or anxiety, estimate associations between mental health treatment and outcomes. <br><br>RESULTS: The sample included 62,924 adults with unhealthy alcohol use, of whom 12,281 (19.5%) had depression or anxiety. On average, alcohol use significantly decreased across all measures during the pandemic, but patients with depression or anxiety had greater decreases in drinks/week (adjusted mean difference [aMD] [CI]=-0.34 [-0.55, -0.12]) and drinking days/week (-0.15 [-0.20, -0.10]). No associations were found between mental health treatment and changes in drinking. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to expectations, patients with unhealthy alcohol use and depression or anxiety decreased alcohol use more than those without depression or anxiety during COVID-19, whether or not they accessed mental health services.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1937-1888",
doi="10.15288/jsad.23-00373",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.15288/jsad.23-00373"
}