09/12/2022
WHY WERE WOMEN DRINKING MORE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?
Did you know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, women’s alcohol consumption superseded men’s alcohol intake by almost 40%, resulting in several health consequences? Compared to men, women were disproportionately laid off, had to resign and dealt with greater mental health, anxiety and insomnia issues.
Alcohol-related deaths rose by about 42% among women between the ages of 35 to 44 from 2019 to 2020
REASONS FOR INCREASED CONSUMPTION:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, women were forced to take on additional responsibilities while working from home including taking care of and teaching home-schooled kids as well as additional household responsibilities including taking care of their aging parents/family members.
According to MDlinx, research showed that women experienced layoffs at higher rates than men, and experienced higher rates of anxiety and deteriorating mental health, which led to higher rates of drinking.
STATISTICS ON DRINKING:
According to a recent article published by Harvard Health, women faced higher rates of clinically significant anxiety, as well as sleep, mood, and health-related issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because women metabolize alcohol differently than men, they often achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood after drinking the same amount. As a result, this can lead women to be more susceptible to the negative effects of consuming alcohol such as hypertension, liver disease, and cancer, as well as cognitive impairments.
POSSIBLE TREATMENT OPTIONS:
For patients who are experiencing alcohol dependency issues, there are many options. Ideally these options would be used adjunctly and address the psychological, emotional, physiological, mental and social aspects of the person.
Medications such as naltrexone, acamprosate, Vivitrol and disulfiram are FDA-approved MAT (medication assisted treatments) that help with reduced drinking and/or abstinence, according to information published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The above medications help with physical cravings but treatment needs to also include behavioral treatments such as 12 step attendance, alcohol counseling, CBT, ACT, coaching. These address the root causes of drinking and provide emotional and motivational support to patients. These treatments can be used as standalone options or through a combined approach.
Hopefully, these treatments can help patients—particularly women—reduce their COVID-19-prompted alcohol consumption. The benefits are tremendous since women can additionally help their children find healthier ways of coping with life challenges a they mentor and guide them during these post pandemic challenging times.
Written and paraphrased from MDLINX article
By Salma Mahmoud | Medically reviewed by Amanda Zeglis, DO, MBA
| Published November 30, 2022
