Use of psychoactive substances and alcohol during the first three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic: Croatian experience

Abstract

Background

Increased prevalence and severity of both substance and behavioral addictions are among the most harmful consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Objective

To determine the sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19-related stressors, and stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms that may predict the use and changes in the use of psychoactive substances (PS) during the first three COVID-19 waves in Croatia.

Methods

The cross-sectional online survey included 1,118 adult participants (220 men and 898 women; mean age: 35.1 [SD = 12.3] years; age range: 18–78) from general adult population. Sociodemographic data were collected, and ad-hoc developed questionnaires on COVID-19-related stressors, PS use before and during the pandemic, CAGE Alcohol Questionnaire, Impact of Event Scale, and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale were applied.

Results

The PS use increased in 31% of participants. The use of tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, cannabinoids, and anxiolytics showed the greatest increase in the last year (tobacco 7.1%; caffeine 5.8%; alcohol 6.4%; cannabinoids 2.5%; and anxiolytics 3.9%). Alcohol consumption during the pandemic increased in 16.8% of participants who consumed alcohol before the pandemic, with 4.5% of them reporting problematic alcohol use (PAU). The tested model demonstrated relatively good model-data fit and significantly predicted 11.8% increase in the use of PS and 9.8% of PAU.

Conclusion

Being married or in a relationship and severe anxiety and depression symptoms predicted increased use of PS and PAU, while higher education level and ever being diagnosed with COVID-19 predicted only increased use of PS.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• PS and alcohol use
• stress
• anxiety
• depression

Authors’ contributions

ZKP, TP, LT and DKK were responsible for conceiving, designing, and planning the study. The data were analyzed and interpreted by MB. ZKP wrote the first draft of the article. ZKP, TP, MB, LT and DKK critically revised the article for important intellectual contribution and approved the final version.

Declaration of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Data availability statement

The register-based data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author ZKP.