THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRAVINGS AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: A MODERATION ANALYSIS BY REPORTED PANDEMIC-RELATED BARRIERS AND COPING MECHANISMS

ABSTRACT

Individuals in recovery from substance use disorders (SUD) faced increased barriers to integral supports during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this project is to determine if reported barriers and coping strategies moderated the relationship between substance cravings during early stages of the pandemic and subsequent alcohol use frequency. Participants were 48 adults (40.5% female;90.2% White) between 26 and 60 years old (M = 42.66, SD = 8.44) who were part of a larger, multi-year longitudinal study of individuals in recovery from SUD. Individuals completed two interviews one during the first six weeks of stay-at-home orders, where participants reported pandemic- related barriers, coping mechanisms, and cravings, and the second within twelve months of the initial interview, where they reported their alcohol use frequency and quantity. At baseline, substance cravings were reported as a mean of 2.28/5 (SD = 1.41) and participants averaged 2.84 (SD = 5.93) drinks per drinking day. Reported barriers included cancelled support meetings, changes in job format (i.e., being fired or furloughed), and lack of social support. Reported coping strategies included self-care (e.g., mindfulness), leisure activities/hobbies, taking caution against exposure (e.g., social distancing), and strengthening personal relationships. At follow-up, substance cravings were reported as a mean of 1.56/5 (SD = 0.75) and participants averaged 0.23 (SD = 0.64) drinks per drinking day. There was a significant interaction between baseline cravings and being cautious against exposure (B = 0.49, p = 0.008), such that the relationship between baseline cravings and drinks/drinking day at follow-up was stronger among those who endorsed caution (B = 0.51, p = 0.001) than those who did not (B = 0.18, p = 0.85). There was also a significant interaction between baseline cravings and self-care (B = 0.49, p = 0.008), such that there was a positive relationship between baseline cravings and alcohol use at follow-up for those who did not endorse self care (B = 0.35, p = 0.004) and no relationship for those who did (B = 0.00, p = 1.00). Though caution against exposure kept individuals physically safe, inadvertent effects of social isolation on mental health may have strengthened the relationship between craving and subsequent alcohol use. Additionally, the effectiveness of self-care as a coping mechanism stresses the importance of such forms of coping for those with SUD as a protective factor against the influence of substance cravings.