Adolescent Girls and Alcohol Use: Increasing Concern During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Adolescence is a time known for risky behaviors and often the initiation of alcohol use. Readily available, alcohol is often one of the drugs of choice for adolescents. Whereas in the past 30 years, the overall consumption of alcohol is down, the data in the past 10 years have shown more girls are binge drinking and meeting criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD). The alarm of early alcohol use is the association with problems with the substances later in life. Historically, men and male adolescents consumed more alcohol than females. Recent studies indicate girls' alcohol use surpasses boys, whereas women now are developing AUD at the same rate as men. The consequences of early use can result in women's increased risk for multiple cancers, having a more severe form of AUD with less alcohol consumption as well as premature death. To further exacerbate this growing concern, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created a perfect storm for increased use of alcohol to cope with the stress of living in an uncertain world. Normal daily activities have been halted with the uncertainty of school closures, zoom classroom sessions, and living in mandated social isolation. All nurses need to be screening for how families under their care have been managing stress. The time is opportune to educate and support parents in engaging their children in conversations around substance use. Parents can be supported to increase awareness of their own coping mechanisms and strengthen positive coping. Adolescents need support to strengthen interpersonal skills as well as make informed decisions concerning when and how they engage in alcohol consumption. This article will illuminate the growing need for all healthcare providers to assess and guide adolescents' coping skills during COVID with a focus on mental health, high-risk behavior, and alcohol use.

Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on youth Alcohol Consumption: longitudinal Changes From Pre-to Intra-pandemic Drinking in the COMPASS Study

“…The apparent sudden decrease when social restrictions were implemented and then the sharp escalation as restrictions were removed can partly be attributed to the evidence that male alcohol consumption and binge drinking may be more socially driven than that of females. For example, Smith and collegues [ 27 ] indicated that males tend to consume alcohol to have fun (i.e., enhance one's ability to experience positive emotions), whereas females drink to diminish their experience of negative emotions and relieve stress or depression [ 26 ]. Recently, the study by Romano et al., [ 28 ] found that some female Canadian high school students used alcohol to cope during the early months of the pandemic, particularly those with poorer psychosocial well-being.…”

Assessing Alcohol Expectations in University Students: the APNE Scale

“…In the current era of pandemic, in which heavy alcohol consumption has increased so much among young adults (Smith et al, 2021) and US excessive drinking projections by 2023 have estimated a dramatic increase of additional deaths (Julien et al, 2022), tools like the APNE can be useful for understanding positive and negative beliefs with regard to consumption and can therefore support policymakers to make informed decisions about the implementation of…”

Earlier Bedtime and Effective Coping Skills Predict a Return to Low-Risk of Depression in Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Beyond pre-pandemic risk factors for depression, such as internalizing problems [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], some behaviors during the pandemic have contributed to greater risk for depression. For example, substance use has increased in some young adults, especially in women [ 17 ], contributing to mental health issues [ 18 ]. Poor sleep quality [ 19 ] and disrupted sleep, longer sleep latency, and higher daytime dysfunction [ 20 ] were prevalent among young adults during the COVID-19 outbreak, contributing to higher levels of depression than those reported in older adults.…”