The COVID-19 Pandemic and Substance use and Other Problem Behaviours Among Young Adults: Findings From a Longitudinal Study

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Topic - Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic came with a unique set of psychological and economic stressors, disrupting young people’s lives and also interfering with their developmental tasks of young adulthood, including educational and professional development, and the formation of stable social and romantic relationships. How young adults coped with these stressors and disruptions is not fully understood.

Common maladaptive coping behaviours of young adulthood include substance use and other addictive behaviours (e.g., gaming, consuming pornography, gambling). Existing literature suggests that these behaviours may increase in their frequency during pandemics and associated lockdowns/quarantines. Substance use and related behaviours are, however, also influenced by environmental affordances. For example, party drugs are primarily consumed during parties, when clubs are open.
The goal of the current longitudinal study is to examine substance use and other addictive behaviours in young adults from 2 years before the pandemic to mid-September 2020, using one before-pandemic and four during-pandemic assessments.

Data came from a prospective-longitudinal cohort study. The cohort comprises participants who entered first grade in one of 56 public primary schools in a large Swiss city in 2004. The original study consists of eight assessment waves, at ages 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 20 (in 2018). In April 2020, all age 20 participants (then aged 22) were invited to participate in a COVID-19 online study. In total, four COVID-19 data collections, with up to N=786 participants, took place in mid April, early May, late May, and mid September 2020. At each assessment, participants reported on the use of various substances, and frequency of computer gaming, consumption of pornography, and online gambling.

Longitudinal modelling will be used to examine trajectories of substance use and other addictive behaviours across the age 20 pre-pandemic and the four during-pandemic assessments. Analyses will also examine whether outcome trajectories differ by key demographic variables. For example, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations tend to experience poorer health and social outcomes during pandemics than those with more socioeconomic resources.

Example hypotheses include: H1: Prevalence of alcohol and tobacco consumption will be stable among young adults, however, frequency of use of will increase from pre- to during-pandemic and remain relatively higher once the lockdown measures were relaxed; H2: Prevalence of cannabis and other illicit drug use will remain stable, but their frequencies will decrease from the pre-pandemic assessment and increase again once lockdown measures were relaxed; H3: Prevalence and frequency of internet use, gaming, and pornography will increase and stabilize throughout the 4 waves of during-pandemic data collection – this effect will be most marked among males and those who experienced loss of employment.

The current study will be among the first to repeatedly examine the experiences of young adults from before the pandemic and throughout the first 6 months of the pandemic. Results will be vital for informing decision-makers regarding resource allocations to public health and social services programming in times of crisis.

Authors

• Cesar Leos Toro, University of Zurich
  Presenting Author

• Laura Bechtiger, University of Zurich
  Non-Presenting Author

• Annekatrin Steinhoff, University of Zurich
  Non-Presenting Author

• Denis Ribeaud, University of Zurich
  Non-Presenting Author

• Manuel Eisner, University of Cambridge
  Non-Presenting Author

• Boris B. Quednow, University of Zurich
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lilly Shanahan, University of Zurich
  Non-Presenting Author