TITLE:
Increased Misuse of Alcohol and Drugs among Unemployed during COVID-19 Pandemic
AUTHORS:
Richard E. Hunter, Richard A. Nida
KEYWORDS:
Unemployment, COVID-19, Addiction, Alcohol, Drugs
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.9 No.3,
May
31,
2021
ABSTRACT: Rampant
unemployment in the United States brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has had
an enormous detrimental effect on the financial well-being of millions of
Americans and their families. Personal concerns about these financial
disruptions and social isolation as a precaution against the pandemic have
heighted stress particularly among vulnerable groups like the unemployed. High
stress situations are known triggers for maladaptive coping behaviors like
use/overuse of alcohol, prescription medications, and street drugs. This study
of 600 unemployed individuals found substantial increases in all three
categories of mood-altering substances. Using adapted addiction symptom
measurement items from the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
(DSM-5), the researchers established comparative addiction risk profiles for
each substance category. Further, the results of the study offer preliminary
insights into substance abuse patterns across two and even all three of the
substance categories.