Measuring self-reported change in alcohol and cannabis consumption during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada

Abstract

This study presents nationally representative estimates of self-reported changes in alcohol and cannabis consumption since the onset of COVID-19 in Canada. We used data from the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (collected from September to December 2020) to calculate the prevalence of self-reported change in alcohol and cannabis consumption. We found that 15.7% of respondents self-reported an increase in alcohol consumption and 5.4% in cannabis consumption since the start of the pandemic. Sociodemographic disparities were also observed, indicating that increased alcohol and cannabis consumption may be more prevalent among certain populations.

Expanding the evidence for population mental health in Canada: a call to action for evidence-informed policy and practice

“…Research, policy and practice presents results from the 2020 Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (SCMH), 4 a populationbased, cross-sectional survey explicitly designed to address several of the methodological weaknesses of existing evidence. The articles [6][7][8][9][10] in this special issue present urgently needed and reliable populationlevel estimates of mental health during the pandemic as well as comparative analyses quantifying the magnitude and distribution of change in mental health across the population and for select sociodemographic subgroups. Results are extended further by identifying correlates of mental health that are unique to the pandemic, thereby providing greater insights to inform strategies for response, recovery and future preparedness.…”

“…Second, increases in levels of distress vary across population subgroups and are more pronounced among younger adults, females and immigrant populations. 9,11,[13][14][15] Changes in mental health as a function of socioeconomic circumstances are nuanced: some indicators suggest a positive association between educational attainment and greater increases in levels of distress and alcohol use during the pandemic, relative to before; 9,7,10 while other findings indicate no difference. 8 Third, the prevalence of self-reported suicidal ideation appears not to have increased during the pandemic.…”

“…19 Fourth, a sizable portion of the Canadian population have reported increases in cannabis (5%) and alcohol use (16%) since the start of the pandemic and use of either cannabis or alcohol is strongly associated with co-occurring levels of distress. 10 Finally, frontline workers and individuals reporting pandemic-related economic, health and interpersonal stressors are more likely Now, well into our second year of the global COVID-19 pandemic, concerns for population mental health are mounting. These concerns are well justified given the increases in established risk factors known to contribute to mental ill-health, including economic hardship, social deprivation and cumulative losses of fundamental health and social services.…”

Completing the picture: a proposed framework for child maltreatment surveillance and research in Canada

“…4 This special issue of the journal underscores the negative effects of the first year of the pandemic on Canadians' mental health and well-being. During the first 10 months after the pandemic was officially declared, alcohol and cannabis use 5,6 and depression 7 increased, and selfrated positive mental health, life satisfaction and community belonging 8 declined, with no changes in suicidal ideation noted. 9 However, Canadians were not equally impacted.…”

“…9 However, Canadians were not equally impacted. As Varin et al 5 maintain, "understanding the social determinants of health is key to developing harm reduction and mitigation strategies." Indeed, younger age, living in an urban area and having co-morbidities of mental health issues were related to an increased likelihood of negative outcomes.…”