Increased alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking, and suicide ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol use is a known risk factor for suicidality, yet this relationship has not been explored during the pandemic in Canada. As a growing body of evidence demonstrates the negative impact of COVID-19 on alcohol consumption and associated harms in Canada, there is a need to examine this more closely. METHODS: Using the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health 2020, we compared the prevalence of suicide ideation among: (1) individuals who reported an increase in alcohol consumption vs those who reported a decrease/no change, and (2) individuals who reported past month heavy episodic drinking vs those who did not. We compared overall unadjusted odds ratios and across a number of sociodemographic and mental health variables. All estimates were weighted to ensure they were nationally representative. RESULTS: The prevalence and likelihood of suicide ideation were significantly higher among people who reported increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic (4.9% vs 2.0%; OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.8, 3.7) and people who reported past month heavy episodic drinking (3.4% vs 2.1%; OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.3). Males and middle-aged and older-aged individuals had the highest odds ratios for increased alcohol consumption and past month heavy episodic drinking with suicide ideation. CONCLUSION: In the Canadian general population during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were significant associations between suicide ideation and increased alcohol use as well as past month heavy episodic drinking across specific sociodemographic subgroups. Future research could explore these associations while adjusting for social determinants of health such as income security, employment, education, social support, stress, and mental health.

RéSUMé: CONTEXTE: La consommation d'alcool est un facteur de risque connu de suicidabilité, mais cette relation n'a pas été explorée pendant la pandémie au Canada. Comme un nombre croissant de preuves démontre les répercussions négatives de la COVID-19 sur la consommation d'alcool et les méfaits associés au Canada, il est nécessaire d'examiner cette question de plus près. MéTHODES: En utilisant l'enquête de 2020 sur la COVID-19 et la santé mentale, nous avons comparé la prévalence des idées suicidaires chez : (1) les individus qui ont déclaré une augmentation de leur consommation d'alcool par rapport à ceux qui ont déclaré une diminution ou aucun changement, et (2) les individus qui ont déclaré une consommation épisodique excessive d'alcool au cours du dernier mois par rapport à ceux qui n'en ont pas déclaré. Nous avons comparé les rapports des cotes globaux non ajustés et selon un certain nombre de variables sociodémographiques et de santé mentale. Toutes les estimations ont été pondérées afin de garantir leur représentativité nationale. RéSULTATS: La prévalence et la probabilité d'idées suicidaires étaient considérablement plus élevées chez les personnes ayant déclaré une consommation d'alcool accrue pendant la pandémie (4,9 % contre 2,0 %; RC=2,6, IC à 95 % : 1,8 à 3,7) et chez les personnes ayant déclaré une consommation épisodique excessive au cours du mois écoulé (3,4 % contre 2,1 %; RC=1,7, IC à 95 % : 1,2 à 2,3). Les hommes, les personnes d'âge moyen et les personnes âgées présentaient les rapports des cotes les plus élevés pour une consommation d'alcool accrue et une consommation épisodique excessive d'alcool au cours du mois précédent avec des idées suicidaires. CONCLUSION: Dans la population générale canadienne, pendant la pandémie de COVID-19, il y avait des associations significatives entre les idées suicidaires et l'augmentation de la consommation d'alcool ainsi que la consommation épisodique excessive d'alcool au cours du dernier mois dans des sous-groupes sociodémographiques précis. Les recherches futures pourraient explorer ces associations tout en ajustant les déterminants sociaux de la santé tels que la sécurité du revenu, l'emploi, l'éducation, le soutien social, le stress et la santé mentale.

The Influence of COVID-19 on Stress, Substance Use, and Mental Health Among Postsecondary Students

Emerging adults, including post-secondary education students, are disproportionately affected by the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The speed with which society moved in attempt to minimize the spread of the virus left many students with uncertainty and concern about their health, mental health, and academic futures. Considering that post-secondary students are a population at risk, it is important to determine how students respond in the face of the pandemic, and what coping mechanisms or supports will result in improved mental health outcomes. This knowledge will be helpful for post-secondary institutions to understand how COVID-19 has influenced the health and well-being of their students, and may facilitate the implementation of strategies to support their students. This narrative review explores evidence on how COVID-19 has impacted students with the overall goal to provide a set of recommendations to post-secondary institutions to help meet the evolving needs of this population.

Coping With the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Gender Differences in Stress and Mental Health Among University Students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a wide variety of unprecedented challenges, many of which appear to be disproportionately affecting the mental health and well-being of young adults. While there is evidence to suggest university students experience high rates of mental health disorders, less is known about the specific impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on student mental health and how they are coping with this stress. To address this gap, we conducted an online study among undergraduate students (n = 366) to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academics, social isolation, and mental health, as well as the extent to which they have been implementing a variety of coping strategies. The pandemic had a more pronounced negative effect on female students' academics, social isolation, stress and mental health compared to male counterparts. Moreover, for females, frequent use of social media as a coping mechanism was associated with greater perceived negative impacts on their academic performance and stress levels, compared to males. However, frequent social media use related to similar negative mental health effects for both males and females. While male and female students both reported using substances to cope, for males the use of cannabis was associated with greater negative impacts on academic outcomes, stress and mental health compared to females. These findings highlight the need for adequate student support services across the post-secondary sector, and point to the importance of gender informed interventions to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.