Alcohol abuse sent nearly twice as many U.S. women to the hospital during pandemic, study finds

During 10 months between April 2020 and September 2021, complications of alcohol-related disease rose by 33% to 56% among middle-aged women compared with pre-pandemic times, said first author Dr. Bryant Shuey, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

“That uptick in drinking is likely contributing to the really serious alcohol-related liver disease, mood disorders, alcohol withdrawal problems and heart and gastric concerns we found in our study.”

“The study was very well conducted,” said addiction specialist Dr. Scott Hadland, associate professor of pediatrics at Mass General for Children and Harvard Medical School.

The study, published Friday in the journal JAMA Health Forum, analyzed claims from an insurance database of people ages 15 and older to determine the number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to alcohol abuse during the pandemic.

While the study could not determine cause and effect, one explanation for the uptick could be that women already had a problem with alcohol before the pandemic, said Dr. Ibraheem Karaye, assistant professor of population health at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, via email.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a free, confidential national helpline open at all times to provide referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups and community-based organizations: 800-662-HELP (4357) and 800-487-4889 (TTY option).