TY - JOUR
T1 - COVID-19 pandemic-related trauma symptoms are associated with postpartum alcohol consumption
AU - Doyle, Olivia
AU - Wood, Elizabeth K.
AU - Sullivan, Elinor L.
AU - Mackiewicz-Seghete, Kristen
AU - Graham, Alice
AU - Gustafsson, Hanna C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2023/11/1
Y1 - 2023/11/1
N2 - Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to escalations in substance use, including alcohol consumption. Of particular concern are the potential impacts during the postpartum period, a time of heightened vulnerability to stress and potential transmission of the negative sequelae of substance use to offspring. However, postpartum alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been well characterized. Method: Postpartum drinking habits and COVID-19-related stress were repeatedly assessed (every two weeks for 12 weeks, and at one-, six-, and 12-months postpartum) from N = 378 individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Average alcohol use trajectories as well as heterogeneity in trajectories were characterized. COVID-19-related trauma symptoms and coping were examined in relation to alcohol use over time. Results: Average postpartum alcohol use included an initial quadratic increase from one-to-four-months postpartum, followed by a plateau between four-to-12-months. Higher (15.08%), moderate (26.90%), and lower consumption (57.90%) subgroups were identified. Endorsement of COVID-19-related trauma symptoms and using alcohol to cope with stress predicted higher consumption. Conclusions: Findings suggest a potential sensitive period in establishing postpartum alcohol use patterns from one-to-four-months postpartum. Findings further suggest that postpartum alcohol use is heterogenous and that individual response to major traumatic stressors, like the COVID-19 pandemic, may influence emerging patterns of postpartum alcohol use.
AB - Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to escalations in substance use, including alcohol consumption. Of particular concern are the potential impacts during the postpartum period, a time of heightened vulnerability to stress and potential transmission of the negative sequelae of substance use to offspring. However, postpartum alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been well characterized. Method: Postpartum drinking habits and COVID-19-related stress were repeatedly assessed (every two weeks for 12 weeks, and at one-, six-, and 12-months postpartum) from N = 378 individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Average alcohol use trajectories as well as heterogeneity in trajectories were characterized. COVID-19-related trauma symptoms and coping were examined in relation to alcohol use over time. Results: Average postpartum alcohol use included an initial quadratic increase from one-to-four-months postpartum, followed by a plateau between four-to-12-months. Higher (15.08%), moderate (26.90%), and lower consumption (57.90%) subgroups were identified. Endorsement of COVID-19-related trauma symptoms and using alcohol to cope with stress predicted higher consumption. Conclusions: Findings suggest a potential sensitive period in establishing postpartum alcohol use patterns from one-to-four-months postpartum. Findings further suggest that postpartum alcohol use is heterogenous and that individual response to major traumatic stressors, like the COVID-19 pandemic, may influence emerging patterns of postpartum alcohol use.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - Latent class analysis
KW - Latent curve models
KW - Post-traumatic stress symptoms
KW - Postpartum alcohol use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85171288774&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85171288774&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2023.09.001
DO - 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2023.09.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 37729720
AN - SCOPUS:85171288774
SN - 0163-8343
VL - 85
SP - 19
EP - 27
JO - General Hospital Psychiatry
JF - General Hospital Psychiatry
ER -