Evidence demonstrating increased alcohol use during COVID-19 comes from low- to moderate-alcohol use samples and has yet to use adults with severe but untreated AUD. Using a community sample of adults with severe AUD, this exploratory, cross-sectional study examined associations of COVID-19 alcohol use. Participants were recruited for a phase-II RCT. Only baseline measures, completed prior to randomization, were analyzed in the present study. Key variables were alcohol consumption, COVID-19-related worries and experiences, and qualitative responses of 1) alcohol use and 2) positive changes during COVID-19. 176 pariticpants recruited since COVID-19 were on average 41.4 years old, 49.1% female, and 79% White. Participants drank alcohol nearly 23 of the past 30 days, consumed 7 standard drinks per drinking day, and nearly 90% reported increased alcohol use. More heavy episodic drinking was reported in the first six-months of COVID-19 and more COVID-related concerns in the most recent six-months. Participants reported drinking increased due to "more time on their hands", but the pandemic also "strengthened relationships". Results affirm an increase in alcohol use during COVID-19 in adults with severe, untreated AUD. Findings underscore the need to understand how alcohol use and pandemic-related circumstances may influence one another for adults with severe AUD.
Some recovery homes have facilitating relationships and organizational characteristics, and there are also social capital differences among residents of these recovery homes. It is important to better understand the impact of protective and risk individual and house factors on recovery issues among residents of these community-based settings. Individuals from 42 recovery homes were followed for up to six data collection periods over two years. House level latent class analyses tapped relationship and organizational domains and individual level latent class analyses were from derived from elements of recovery capital. Houses that manifested protective factors provided most residents positive outcomes, except those with elevated self-esteem. Houses that were less facilitating had more negative exits, except for those residents who were the highest functioning. Both individual and house characteristics are of importance in helping to understand risk factors associated with eviction outcomes for residents in recovery homes.