The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms: Testing Interactions with Polygenic Risk.

Kaitlin E. Bountress; Daniel Bustamante; Mohammad Ahangari; Fazil Aliev; Steven H. Aggen; Eva Lancaster; The Spit for Science Working Group; Roseann E. Peterson; Jasmin Vassileva; Danielle M. Dick; Ananda B. Amstadter

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ERIC Number: EJ1473389

Record Type: Journal

Publication Date: 2025

Pages: 6

Abstractor: As Provided

ISBN: N/A

ISSN: ISSN-0744-8481

EISSN: EISSN-1940-3208

Available Date: 0000-00-00

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms: Testing Interactions with Polygenic Risk

Kaitlin E. Bountress¹; Daniel Bustamante^1,2; Mohammad Ahangari^1,2; Fazil Aliev³; Steven H. Aggen¹; Eva Lancaster^1,4; The Spit for Science Working Group^1,5; Roseann E. Peterson¹; Jasmin Vassileva⁶; Danielle M. Dick^1,3,7; Ananda B. Amstadter

Journal of American College Health, v73 n4 p1532-1537 2025

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test whether COVID impact interacts with genetic risk (polygenic risk score/PRS) to predict alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms. Method: Participants were n = 455 college students (79.6% female, 51% European Ancestry/EA, 24% African Ancestry/AFR, 25% Americas Ancestry/AMER) from a longitudinal study during the initial stage (March-May 2020) of the pandemic. Path models allowed for the examination of PRS and previously identified COVID-19 impact constructs. Results: There was a main effect of the AUD PRS on AUD symptoms within the EA group ([beta]: 0.165, p < 0.01). Additionally, food/housing insecurity was predictive in the AMER group ([beta]: 0.295, p < 0.05), and greater increases in substance use were associated with AUD symptoms for EA ([beta]: 0.459, p < 0.001) and AMER groups ([beta]: 0.468, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Greater food/housing instability and increases in substance use, as well higher scores on PRS are associated with more AUD symptoms for some ancestral groups within this college sample.

Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, Alcohol Abuse, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Substance Abuse, Longitudinal Studies, Genetics, Prediction, College Students, Hunger, Housing, At Risk Persons, Correlation, Measures (Individuals)

Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research

Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education

Audience: N/A

Language: English

Sponsor: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (DHHS/NIH); National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) (DHHS/NIH); National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) (DHHS/NIH), Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program

Authoring Institution: N/A

Identifiers - Location: Virginia

Grant or Contract Numbers: P20AA017828; R37AA011408; K02AA018755; P50AA022537; K01AA024152; UL1RR031990; UM1TR004360; 1K01AA028058; F31AA025820

Author Affiliations: ¹Virginia Institute for Psychiatry and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; ²Integrative life Sciences Doctoral Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; ³Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; ⁴Office of Data Science Strategy and Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA; ⁵Department of Psychiatry, Suny Downstate, Richmond, Virginia, USA; ⁶Rutgers Addiction Research Center, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Psychiatry, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; ⁷Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA