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. 2021 Dec:1:100005.
doi: 10.1016/j.dadr.2021.100005. Epub 2021 Nov 22.

Stressors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and substance use among US college students

Hans Oh  1 , Adam M Leventhal  2 , Christina C Tam  3 , Ravi Rajkumar  4 , Sasha Zhou  5 , John D Clapp  1
Affiliations

Stressors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and substance use among US college students

Hans Oh et al. Drug Alcohol Depend Rep. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused numerous stressors that may have been linked to substance use among college students.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Fall 2020 Healthy Minds Study (N = 15,995), a non-probability sample of students attending one of 28 universities, who completed an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic (September - December 2020). Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined the associations between COVID-19 stressors (concern, racial/ethnic discrimination, financial distress, infection, illness of loved one, death of loved one, caregiving) and substance use (alcohol, cigarette, marijuana), adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and international student status. All COVID-19 stressors were included in the same weighted logistic regression models.

Results: About 46.89% of the sample reported drinking any alcohol (in the past 2 weeks), 7.38% used any cigarettes, and 16.87% used any marijuana over the past month. Multivariable logistic regression models showed that infection and caregiving were significantly associated with alcohol use; racial/ethnic discrimination and financial distress were associated with smoking cigarettes; and concern and infection were associated with marijuana use.

Conclusions: COVID-19 stressors were related to substance use, though the strength and significance of the associations varied depending on the stressors and the type of substance.

Keywords: Alcohol; COVID-19; Cigarettes; Marijuana; Pandemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Sasha Zhou is a co-investigator for the Healthy Minds Study. The authors have no other conflicts to disclose.

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