Abstract
Background: There has been little previous research within mental health services exploring changes in drinking behavior among older people during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study compared alcohol use and risky drinking both before and after lockdown in this age group.
Methods: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to identify risky drinking in people aged between 55 and 74, in a sample of 366 people. One hundred and eighty-five people were referred before and one hundred and eighty-one people after lockdown in the UK.
Results: Compared with before lockdown, it was more likely for older people referred after lockdown to be female, have less severe cognitive impairment, and to show other features of alcohol-related harm such as morning drinking and feeling guilt or remorse over their drinking.
Conclusion: These findings have implications for both access to services and service provision in older people who experience restrictions on their independence during a pandemic.
Methods: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to identify risky drinking in people aged between 55 and 74, in a sample of 366 people. One hundred and eighty-five people were referred before and one hundred and eighty-one people after lockdown in the UK.
Results: Compared with before lockdown, it was more likely for older people referred after lockdown to be female, have less severe cognitive impairment, and to show other features of alcohol-related harm such as morning drinking and feeling guilt or remorse over their drinking.
Conclusion: These findings have implications for both access to services and service provision in older people who experience restrictions on their independence during a pandemic.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Substance Use |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Apr 2021 |
