Why were women drinking more during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed how we live our lives. Many people turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism during the trying times of the pandemic—particularly women.

Reasons for increased alcohol consumption

Women were hit particularly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic because they were forced to take on additional responsibilities like working from home while taking care of and teaching home-schooled kids, as well as facing additional emotional stress, according to research published by Newswise.^[]

This research showed that women experienced layoffs at higher rates than men, while many voluntarily left their jobs due to the lack of childcare available during the pandemic lockdown. These circumstances left them with higher rates of anxiety and deteriorating mental health, which led to higher rates of drinking.

Susan Stewart, PhD, a professor of sociology at Iowa State University, told Newswise that, “during the pandemic, there was this proliferation of jokes and memes about mothers drinking to get through the day, and now, people are starting to say, ‘No, why are we doing this? Why aren't we addressing the root problems of our stress—of not getting support at home, balancing work and family, taking care of relatives?’”

Statistics on drinking

According to an article published by Harvard Health, women faced changes in productivity and higher rates of clinically significant anxiety, as well as sleep-, mood-, and health-related issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[]

Alcohol consumption may lead to other health risks such as hypertension, liver disease, and cancer, as well as cognitive impairments.

Because women metabolize alcohol differently than men, they often achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood after drinking the same amount. As a result, this can lead women to be more susceptible to the negative effects of consuming alcohol.

The effects of increased alcohol consumption have led to extremely serious consequences, as reported in an NBC News article.^[] There was a general rise in alcohol-related deaths by about 26% percent among both men and women, but for women between the ages of 35 and 44, there was an even larger increase in deaths—about 42%. Among women between the ages of 25 and 34, there was a 34% rise in deaths related to alcohol consumption.

Possible treatment options

Medications such as naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram are FDA-approved to help with stopping or reducing drinking, according to information published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.^[]

There are also behavioral treatments such as alcohol counseling or talk therapy that aim to change drinking behaviors and provide emotional and motivational support to patients. These treatments can be used as standalone options or through a combined approach.

Hopefully, these treatments can help patients—particularly women—reduce their COVID-19-prompted alcohol consumption as the effects of the pandemic continue to subside.