Department of Behavioral & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, 4200 Valley Drive, Suite 1234, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th Street, CRB 906, Miami, FL, 33136,USA.
Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021 Apr 1;221:108594. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108594. Epub 2021 Feb 19.
Sexual and gender minority (SGM) young persons are experiencing compounding effects of COVID-19 due to unique social inequalities and existent mental health and substance use challenges. Given that 41% of all young persons are enrolled in universities, and the increased vulnerabilities faced by SGM young persons during the pandemic, it is imperative to understand the effects of alcohol use on mental health among SGM university students amid COVID-19. This study aims to examine the associations between changes in alcohol use since the start of COVID-19 and mental distress among SGM university students in the U.S., and to explore sex-stratified differences.
A nonprobability cross-sectional sample of 509 SGM university students (M = 22.04 years, SD = 3.99) were retrospectively surveyed online between May-August 2020 and asked if their alcohol use had changed since the start of COVID-19. Statistical analyses explored the association between changes in alcohol use since the start of COVID-19 and mental distress.
Average psychological distress (M = 27.79, SD = 7.82) was relatively high as per existing research and established clinical cutoff scores. Roughly 32% had increased alcohol use since the start of COVID-19. Subsequently, greater alcohol use (p < .05) since the start of COVID-19 was associated with higher psychological distress among SGM university students, and among females but not males assigned at birth.
Higher education, medical, and behavioral health professionals should consider how to adapt their practice to address alcohol use and psychological burdens among SGM university students (especially females) who are facing health inequities during and beyond COVID-19, requiring SGM-affirmative care.
性少数群体和跨性别群体（SGM）的年轻人由于独特的社会不平等以及存在的心理健康和药物使用挑战，正在经历 COVID-19 的复合影响。鉴于所有年轻人中有 41%在大学就读，并且 SGM 年轻人在大流行期间面临更大的脆弱性，因此了解 COVID-19 期间 SGM 大学生的酒精使用对心理健康的影响至关重要。本研究旨在检查自 COVID-19 开始以来，SGM 大学生的酒精使用变化与心理健康之间的关联，并探讨性别分层差异。
在 2020 年 5 月至 8 月期间，通过非概率横断面样本对 509 名 SGM 大学生（M = 22.04 岁，SD = 3.99）进行了在线回顾性调查，询问他们自 COVID-19 开始以来是否改变了酒精使用习惯。统计分析探讨了自 COVID-19 开始以来，酒精使用变化与心理健康之间的关联。
根据现有研究和既定的临床临界值，平均心理困扰（M = 27.79，SD = 7.82）相对较高。大约 32%的人自 COVID-19 开始以来增加了酒精使用。因此，与 COVID-19 开始时相比，酒精使用量增加（p <.05）与 SGM 大学生的心理困扰增加有关，在出生时被分配为女性的大学生中更为明显，但在男性中则不然。
高等教育、医疗和行为健康专业人员应考虑如何调整实践，以解决 COVID-19 期间和之后面临健康不平等的 SGM 大学生（尤其是女性）的酒精使用和心理负担问题，需要提供 SGM 肯定关怀。
