Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alcohol Use and PTSD Symptoms in a Sample of African American Heavy Drinkers

Project Summary/Abstract: The current global pandemic raises critically important questions about the ways that heavy drinking and alcohol usedisorder (AUD) may increase risk for COVID-19 illness and engaging in risk reduction strategies, as well as howuncertainty and stress related to the pandemic and measures to contain it may impact drinking and related outcomes.Our current NIAAA-funded study (Pharmacogenetic Treatment with Anti-Glutaminergic Agents for Comorbid PTSD &AUD; 5R01AA024760) is testing the efficacy of pregabalin in reducing symptoms of AUD and posttraumatic stressdisorder (PTSD) in a sample of mostly low socioeconomic status (SES) African American men and women who haveexperienced an array of lifetime traumatic events. Over the course of the trial, we have assessed 140 heavy drinkerswith a variety of measures of alcohol use, trauma experiences, PTSD and mood symptoms, other substance use, andgeneral functioning (i.e., taking care of oneself, communicating and interacting with others, taking care of work anddomestic responsibilities). Further examination of this highly diverse sample has the potential to shed light on theconsequences of the pandemic on high-risk community members and the ways that pandemic-related experiences ofstress, uncertainty, and social isolation may impact alcohol use and related outcomes. In response to Notice of SpecialInterest: Availability of Administrative Supplements and Competitive Revision Supplements on Coronavirus Disease2019 (COVID-19) within the Mission of NIAAA (NOT-AA-20-011), we propose to capitalize on this existing researchcohort to investigate urgent research questions of significance to the COVID-19 pandemic among an underservedpopulation of participants with comorbid alcohol use and mental health disorders. First, we will collect descriptive dataon participants' experiences of COVID-19 illness and engaging in risk reduction practices. This will include experienceswith testing, treatment, and hospitalization for COVID-19, as well as engaging in risk reduction practices such as socialdistancing and wearing masks. Second, we will explore the ways that alcohol use, PTSD symptoms, other substanceuse, mood symptoms, social support, and general functioning are related to engaging in COVID-19 risk reductionpractices. Third, we will compare alcohol use, PTSD symptoms, other substance use, mood symptoms, and generalfunctioning assessed before (prior to February 1, 2020) and after the onset of the pandemic to examine how thepandemic affected these domains. Including measures of functional outcomes offers the opportunity to explore how thepandemic has impacted participants' ability to continue to perform meaningful family and societal roles.