Heavy-drinking young adults in the United States significantly reduced their alcohol intake during the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes persisted even as the pandemic began to wane. Published in the journal Nature Mental Health, our research provides fresh insights into how the pandemic influenced drinking behaviors among young adults.
Study Overview
The study focused on heavy-drinking young adults aged 21 to 29 years and tracked the drinking patterns of 234 participants before, during, and after the pandemic. The goal was to observe any pandemic-related changes in their alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems.
The study’s findings were significant:
- Reduction in Drinking: The young adults reduced their alcohol intake substantially during the pandemic. On average, they decreased their monthly alcohol consumption by nearly 13 drinks.
- Fewer Alcohol-Related Problems: There was a notable decline in alcohol-related problems among the participants. This decrease persisted up to two years after the start of the pandemic.
The Role of the Environment
The environment played a crucial role in these changes. While alcohol remained available, the contexts in which young adults typically consumed it changed drastically. Social distancing measures and the closure of bars and restaurants meant that young adults couldn’t drink in social settings like parties or bars, which are often associated with heavy drinking.
The Social Nature of Drinking
The study underscores the importance of social settings in driving drinking behavior. “Alcohol is a social drug,” said Aidan Wright, a contributing author of the study. Wright emphasized that the results highlight how social contexts influence drinking habits adding, “the absence of social gatherings during the pandemic likely played a significant role in reducing alcohol consumption among young adults.”
Emotional Impact and Coping Mechanisms
Our study also found a significant decrease in negative emotions during the pandemic and no changes to coping-motivated drinking during the pandemic. Both men and women followed similar patterns in their drinking behaviors and emotional responses.
Conclusion
The study offers a unique perspective on how the pandemic’s restrictions influenced the drinking habits of heavy-drinking young adults. By reducing social opportunities for drinking, the pandemic inadvertently led to a decrease in alcohol consumption and related problems among this group. This insight points to the powerful impact that social environments have on drinking behaviors and suggests potential avenues for public health interventions aimed at reducing excessive alcohol use among young people (for example, by designing social opportunities that are free of alcohol or that encourage lighter alcohol consumption).
Written by Dr Kasey Creswell, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, United States.
All IAS Blogposts are published with the permission of the author. The views expressed are solely the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute of Alcohol Studies.