Impact of Alcohol Consumption on the Psychological Well-Being of Jamaicans during the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Abstract

This study seeks to highlight the impact of alcohol consumption on the psychological well-being of Jamaicans since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to answer the following three questions: (1) How has COVID-19 affected the drinking habits of Jamaicans? (2) what are the factors that contribute to the consumption of alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic? and (3) what are some positive ways to cope with stress during the pandemic? A probability sampling approach enableddata collection from respondents across Jamaica. The researchers used Google Forms to create a standardized survey for data collection. The Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows Version 25.0 served to analyze the collected data. A p-value of 0.025 determined the level of significance for a sample size of 500. The results revealed that 92.2% (n=460) of respondents had consumed alcohol; 44.7% (n=222) indicated that they have started consuming more alcoholic beverages since the COVID-19 pandemic; 49.4% (n=244) used alcohol as a means of coping throughout the pandemic; 57.3% indicated that they consumed an alcoholic beverage at least 4 times weekly; and54.4% mentioned that alcohol consumption has affect their health status. The current findings revealed that 69.2% of the sampled respondents expressed some state of psychological issue during COVID-19 (i.e., depression, 34.3%; anxiety, 18.8%; suicidal thoughts, 10.7%; 5.4%, paranoia) and 58.0% indicated that social isolation has decreased their psychological and physical well-being. Positive ways to manage alcohol consumption, such as therapy, may aidin overcoming the issue. It is evident from the research that persons have used alcohol as a means of coping during the pandemic, while participants who reported they suffered from emotional issues also increased their alcohol consumption.