Lockdown increases alcohol consumption in people with alcohol use disorders – study

Lockdown represents a risk factor for increasing alcohol consumption in people with alcohol use disorders and relapse for those who were previously abstinent. Those who relapse are at a high risk of harmful drinking and require a tailored approach for intervention.

That’s according to a study shared by The Lancet, Effect of Covid-19 lockdown on Alcohol Consumption in Patients with Pre-existing Alcohol Use Disorder, authored by Jin Un Kim, Amir Majid, Rebekah Judge, Peter Crook, Rooshi Nathwani, Nowlan Selvapatt, and others.

“A complex interplay of heightened financial difficulties, social isolation, uncertainty about the future and the redistribution of the health workforce and the disruption to clinical services could contribute to increased alcohol intake and relapse under lockdown conditions and, subsequently, contribute to further liver-associated complications via direct injury or through late presentations to the appropriate services,” the authors wrote.

They went on to note that lockdown was “a complex social phenomenon that provokes different behavioural responses”, citing a population survey of 1 555 drinkers in the UK which identified “that 21% increased alcohol consumption during the lockdown, while 35% reduced their alcohol intake”.

“The true effect of the lockdown on alcohol intake remains unknown because of a paucity of qualitative data. We emphasise several points. First, lockdown causes different behavioural changes on alcohol intake, with about 20% of individuals increasing or decreasing their normal alcohol consumption,” the authors wrote.

“Second, we found no distinct protective factors for relapse, suggesting that pre-lockdown abstinence status is not protective against lockdown-related relapse.”

Support from alcohol liaison services could prevent relapse during lockdown, the authors suggested.

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