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ACADEMIA Letters Drinking our Problems Away: The Lesser-Known Effects of COVID-19 on Substance Use Arnavi Patel Jasrita Singh Austin Mardon The SARS-CoV-2 virus has swept the world at a rapid rate, with over 66 million cases and 1.5 million deaths as of December 7, 2020 (World Health Organization, 2020). SARS-CoV-2 affects the respiratory system and has symptoms ranging from cough and fever to shortness of breath in severe cases. The pandemic has also had a significant impact on the mental health of many individuals, with substance abuse being a major contributor in young adults. One study which assessed the rates of substance use in a sample of 1,054 young adults (M = 16.68, standard deviation = .78) reports 43.6% have engaged in solitary substance use, 31.6% in substance use through technology, and 23.6% in face-to-face substance use, since the start of the pandemic. (Dumas et al., 2020). Yet another study reports 53.2% of their sample of 1018 young adults, between the ages of 18 and 25, have engaged in vaping, and/ or the use of tobacco, alcohol, and/or marijuana since, with 12.7% of participants reporting an increase in alcohol use since the start of the pandemic (Sharma et al., 2020). The increase of substance use seems to be correlated with an increase in depression and anxiety. Along with this increase, a third of Canadians also reported an increase in alcohol and marijuana use. This article identifies a possible explanation for the increase in substance use during the pandemic and the implications of this on the Canadian mental health system. One of the possibilities is young adults are using drugs and alcohol to cope with stressful events. Isolation serves as a significant predictor of addiction and drug use. The panic of COVID-19 set in among Canadians towards the beginning of March 2020, with schools closing on March 12, the closing of Canadian borders on March 16, and state of emergency declarations in Ontario on March 17 (Global News, 2020). Restrictions on interactions with Academia Letters, January 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Arnavi Patel, arnavipatelv@gmail.com Citation: Patel, A., Singh, J., Mardon, A. (2021). Drinking our Problems Away: The Lesser-Known Effects of COVID-19 on Substance Use. Academia Letters, Article 141. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL141. 1 others and strict directives for social distancing resulted in some degree of loneliness being experienced by many. In a recent poll by the market research company, Abacus Data, 37% of Canadians reported feeling lonely in the month of March (Anderson and Coletto, 2020). It was also in the month of March that Canada saw an 18% increase in wine, beer, and liquor sales from March 2019 (Statista, 2020). Liquor sales for the months of January and February increased by 3% from 2019 (Statista, 2020). This does not come as a surprise as many studies of substance use during COVID-19 have named self-isolation as a significant predictor. A study published in the journal Substance Abuse assessed self-isolation due to COVID-19 and the use of cannabis among 70 Canadian emerging adults, who used marijuana prior to the start of the pandemic. After accounting for levels of marijuana use pre-pandemic, the researchers found that participants who engaged in self-isolation during the pandemic were 20% more likely to use cannabis (Bartel et al., 2020). Sharma et al., report change in use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana was correlated with self-reported loneliness (p = 0.0301), anxiety (p=0.0045), and depression (p = 0.0018) - substance use increased as loneliness, anxiety, and depression increased (Sharma et al., 2020). Further, A Canadian study that surveyed 1,803 Canadians, 18 years and older, reports quadrupling in anxiety, and a doubling in depression since the onset of the pandemic (Dozois et al., 2020). Furthermore, another study indicated depression to be a predictor of solitary substance use (Dumas et al., 2020). These findings, and many others, shed light on the current trends we are currently seeing in terms of mental health. As the pandemic worsens, depression and anxiety are increasing along with substance use among young adults. This correlation points to the possibility that young adults may be using drugs and alcohol as coping mechanisms to deal with the stressors, and mental health problems that come with a devastating pandemic. A finding from Matthew McPhee et al., reports that the more a person suffered distress due to COVID-19, the more they are likely to drink alcohol to cope with their distress (McPhee, 2020). Following the coronavirus pandemic, an increase in disorders related to substance use may be seen. Following previous pandemics, increases in mental health problems have been seen. The annual rate of hospitalization for first time mental health patients in Norway increased by a factor of 2.6 in the five years following the Russian influenza (1890 - 1894). Similarly, hospitalization for first time mental health patients also in Norway increased by an average factor of 7.2 annually following the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic (Mamelund, 2010). This pattern may likely be repeated following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. But is the Canadian mental health system ready for an influx in substance use disorders? Studies have shown that despite mental health issues contributing to 23% of the disease burden in Canada, the Canadian government allocated only about 7.2% of its health care budget to support mental health services Academia Letters, January 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Arnavi Patel, arnavipatelv@gmail.com Citation: Patel, A., Singh, J., Mardon, A. (2021). Drinking our Problems Away: The Lesser-Known Effects of COVID-19 on Substance Use. Academia Letters, Article 141. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL141. 2 (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2018). Moreover, mental health care is underfunded by $3.1 billion dollars (Bartram, 2017). In addition, many institutions, and resources available to the public have wait times of about 6 months to receive help (CAMH, n.d.). One in three Canadians over the age of fourteen have reported a need for counselling that was partially met, or completely unmet (Bartram, 2017). The Canadian mental health system may not be able to support young adults in need of support following the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. This is an alarming possibility, as approximately 20% of Canadians experience mental health or addiction problems, and youth and young adults experience substance use problems more than any other age group in the country (CAMH, n.d.). The already underfunded system may not be able to take in an influx in cases, and with that young adults who may suffer from substance abuse will have negative effects on not only their mental health but their social functioning as well. Going forward, Canada needs to revaluate the limited importance placed on the mental well-being of young adults in this country. Increases in the use of substances such as tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol has been identified in conjunction with an increase in mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Trends from previous pandemics indicate the possibility of a rapid increase in mental health issues for many years post the pandemic. Canada should prepare for a possible onset of mental health problems, by allocating more funds to mental health services. In this way, many people who may be affected by a wave of substance userelated problems following the pandemic may be saved from the suffering they can possibly endure. References Anderson, B., & Coletto, D. (2020, March 25). COVID-19 and Canadians’ State of Mind: Worried, lonely, and expecting disruption for at least 2 to 3 months. Retrieved November 24, 2020, from https://abacusdata.ca/coronavirus-covid19-abacus-data-mood-polling/ Bartel, S.J., Sherry, S.B., Stewart, S.H. (2020). Self-isolation: A significant contributor to cannabis use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Substance Abuse. Bartram, M. (2017). Making the most of the federal investment of $5 billion dollars for mental health. CMAJ. 189(44). Beer, wine & liquor stores monthly sales Canada 2020. (2020, August 11). Retrieved November 24, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/461798/monthly-retail-sales-of-beerwine-and-liquor-stores-canada/ Academia Letters, January 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Arnavi Patel, arnavipatelv@gmail.com Citation: Patel, A., Singh, J., Mardon, A. (2021). Drinking our Problems Away: The Lesser-Known Effects of COVID-19 on Substance Use. Academia Letters, Article 141. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL141. 3 Dozois, D.J.A., & Mental Health Research Canada. (2020). Anxiety and depression in Canada during COVID-19 pandemic: A national survey. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne Dumas, T.M., Ellis, W., Litt, D.M. (2020). What does adolescent substance use look like during the COVID-19 pandemic? Examining changes in frequency, social contexts, and pandemic-related predictors. Journal of Adolescent Health. 67(3), 354-361. Mamelund, SE. (2010). The impact of influenza on mental health in Norway 1872-1929. Historical Influenza Pandemics: Lesson Learned [Meeting and workshops]. Carlsberg Academy. McPhee, M.D., Keough, M, T., Rundle, S., Heath, L.M., Wardell, J.D., Hendershot, C.S. (2020). Depression, environmental reward, coping motives and alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychiatry. “Mental Health in the Balance: Ending the Health Care Disparity in Canada.” CMHA National, 23 May 2019, cmha.ca/ending-health-care-disparity-canada. Mental Illness and Addiction: Facts and Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2020, from https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real/mental-health-statistics Sharma, P., Ebbert, J.O., Rosedahl, J.K., Philpot, L.M. (2020). Changes in substance use among young adults during a respiratory disease pandemic. SAGE Open Medicine. 8, 1-5. Young, Leslie. Timeline: How Canada Has Changed since Coronavirus Was Declared a Pandemic. 11 Apr. 2020, globalnews.ca/news/6800118/pandemic-one-month-timeline/. World Health Organization. (2020, December 7). WHO coronavirus disease (COVID-19) dashboard. World Health Organization. https://covid19.who.int/ Academia Letters, January 2021 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Arnavi Patel, arnavipatelv@gmail.com Citation: Patel, A., Singh, J., Mardon, A. (2021). Drinking our Problems Away: The Lesser-Known Effects of COVID-19 on Substance Use. Academia Letters, Article 141. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL141. 4