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Disaster Mental Health

Race moderates the impact of COVID-19 pandemic experiences on self-reported changes in college drinking

(PS1-A6) Race Moderates the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Experiences on Self-reported Changes in College Drinking

Friday, November 18, 2022

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM EST

Location: Westside Ballroom, 5th Floor

Author(s)

Abby L. Braitman, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychology
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Co-Author(s)

RA

Rachel Ayala, B.S.

Graduate Student
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
Jennifer L. Shipley, M.P.H., M.S.

Graduate Student
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
Megan Strowger, M.S.

Graduate Student
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
DG

Douglas J. Glenn, M.S.

Graduate Student
Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology
Norfolk, Virginia
Emily K. Junkin, M.S.

Clinical Doctoral Student
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
CL

Cathy Lau-Barraco, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many unique challenges to college students. Students may have experienced job loss or other financial stressors, be essential workers, face issues related to child care, elder care, or other family responsibilities, have been displaced from dorms, and may have contracted COVID-19. In addition, social distancing measures may lead to poorer mental health through isolation or reduced social support, which in turn could be linked to greater drinking. Researchers have documented via meta-analyses and multi-method studies that some college students are reducing their drinking during the pandemic whereas others are increasing, and that these differences may be due to different contexts of drinking, mental health factors, and demographics. Moreover, the pandemic has exacerbated existing racial disparities. A recent study found that most pandemic-related stressors were more common among Black and Hispanic respondents compared to White or Asian respondents. However, odds of anxiety symptoms, and self-rated worsened mental health were lower among Black respondents than White respondents, adjusting for relevant covariates. For the current examination of pandemic stressors, mental health symptoms, and drinking among college students, we hypothesized that mental health symptoms (stress, anxiety, depression, and pandemic-specific stress) would mediate the association between pandemic-specific stressors and both current drinking levels and changes in drinking compared to before the pandemic. We also examined in an exploratory manner if race (Black versus White racial identity) moderated either of these associations via moderated mediation. A cross-sectional online survey conducted Oct-Dec 2020 among college drinkers (N = 469; age Mdn = 21; 76% female) assessed pandemic-specific stressors /experiences, symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and COVID-specific stress, and past month drinking as well as self-rated retrospective drinking changes since the start of the pandemic. Financial stressors, social distancing, and taking care of someone were uniquely linked to poorer mental health. Depression was uniquely related to both elevated current drinking and to increases in both quantity and frequency of drinking over and above other mental health symptoms. Moderation examinations revealed that select risk factors for worse mental health symptomology among White students (financial stressors, social distancing) were not significant among Black students. In addition, mental health symptoms were linked to greater drinking frequency and higher typical BACs among White students, but not Black students. For many White students, these may be the first major, persistent stressors they have encountered. The coping mechanisms used by Black students may promote resilience against poorer mental health and increased drinking. Essential worker status served as a protective factor for Black students, but not White students (possibly an indicator of job stability and preventing isolation). Contracting COVID was linked to worse mental health symptoms among Black students, but not White students, possibly related to the long history of medical racism in the U.S. Implications are discussed.