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Luk JW, Leiter N, Stangl BL, Gunawan T, Schwandt ML, Goldman D, Diazgranados N, Ramchandani VA. Associations of history of alcohol use disorder with loneliness, social support, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Res 2024; 335:115826. [PMID: 38479194 PMCID: PMC11229409 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
This study examined the effects of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and treatment history on changes in loneliness, social support, and mental health symptoms from before to during the pandemic, and tested loneliness and social support as mediators of the AUD-mental health associations. Participants (n = 427) enrolled in the NIAAA COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Alcohol Study were categorized into three groups: healthy control (62.3%), nontreatment AUD (14.1%), and treatment AUD (23.7%). Multilevel generalized linear models were conducted to examine changes in loneliness, social support, and mental health symptoms by group. Path analyses tested the mediating roles of loneliness and social support. Loneliness increased during the pandemic, especially in the nontreatment AUD group. Social support decreased in the healthy control and AUD treatment group. Anxiety and depressive symptoms increased in the nontreatment AUD group. Individuals with a history of AUD regardless of treatment history reported greater loneliness, which was linked to higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. Loneliness, but not social support, mediated the AUD-mental health associations. Psychosocial interventions aimed at increasing positive social engagement among individuals with AUD may help alleviate feelings of loneliness and mitigate mental health symptoms. Study findings can also help improve preparedness for future public health crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy W Luk
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - Noa Leiter
- Human Psychopharmacology Laboratory, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Bethany L Stangl
- Human Psychopharmacology Laboratory, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Tommy Gunawan
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States; Human Psychopharmacology Laboratory, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Melanie L Schwandt
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David Goldman
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States; Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Nancy Diazgranados
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Vijay A Ramchandani
- Human Psychopharmacology Laboratory, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Thompson MF, Schwandt ML, Ramchandani VA, Diazgranados N, Goldman D, Luk JW. Stress and alcohol-related coping mechanisms linking lifetime suicide ideation and attempt to multidimensional quality of life. J Affect Disord 2024; 351:729-737. [PMID: 38281600 PMCID: PMC11229452 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide ideation and attempt are linked to adverse mental health outcomes, but few studies have examined their associations with quality of life (QoL). This study examined the impact of lifetime history of suicidal ideation and attempt on four QoL domains via perceived stress and problematic drinking. METHODS Participants were drawn from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Natural History Protocol (N = 1055), including those with no history of suicidality (78.6 %), suicidal ideation only (15.3 %), and a history of suicide attempt (6.2 %). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test perceived stress and drinking as mediational pathways to multidimensional QoL. RESULTS Individuals with a history of suicide ideation and/or attempt reported higher perceived stress in the past month, more problematic drinking in the past year, and lower QoL domains in the past two weeks. SEM showed significant mediation effects through dimensions of perceived stress (helplessness, lack of self-efficacy) and alcohol problems. When these mediators were considered simultaneously, the mediation effects through alcohol problems were attenuated, while several direct effects of suicidality on physical, psychological, and social QoL were weakened but remained significant. LIMITATIONS Cross-sectional data with retrospective report of suicidality history. CONCLUSIONS A lifetime history of suicidality was associated with lower multidimensional QoL. These associations were partially explained by stress and alcohol-related coping mechanisms such as feeling helpless or inadequate when encountering stressors and problematic drinking. Perceived stress and drinking to cope may be important intervention targets to improve QoL among those with a history of suicidality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F Thompson
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Melanie L Schwandt
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Nancy Diazgranados
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David Goldman
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), Bethesda, MD, USA; Laboratory of Neurogenetics, NIAAA, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jeremy W Luk
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Luk JW, Satre DD, Cheung R, Wong RJ, Monto A, Chen JY, Batki SL, Ostacher MJ, Snyder HR, Shui AM, Liao M, Haight CG, Khalili M. Problematic alcohol use and its impact on liver disease quality of life in a multicenter study of patients with cirrhosis. Hepatol Commun 2024; 8:e0379. [PMID: 38315141 PMCID: PMC10843394 DOI: 10.1097/hc9.0000000000000379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Management of cirrhosis is challenging and has been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic due to decreased access to care, increased psychological distress, and alcohol misuse. Recently, The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has broadened the definition of recovery from alcohol use disorder to include quality of life (QoL) as an indicator of recovery. This study examined the associations of alcohol-associated cirrhosis etiology and problematic drinking with liver disease QoL (LDQoL). METHODS Patients with cirrhosis (N=329) were recruited from 3 sites (63% from 2 Veterans Affairs Health Care Systems and 37% from 1 safety net hospital) serving populations that are economically or socially marginalized. Cirrhosis etiology was ascertained by chart review of medical records. Problematic drinking was defined by ≥8 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Multivariable general linear modeling adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, site, pandemic-related stress, and history of anxiety/depressive disorder were conducted. Sensitivity analyses further adjusted for indicators of liver disease severity. RESULTS Participants were on average 64.6 years old, 17% female, 58% non-White, 44% with alcohol-associated cirrhosis, and 17% with problematic drinking. Problematic drinking was significantly associated with worse LDQoL scores in the overall scale and in the memory/concentration and health distress subscales. These associations remained significant after adjusting for indicators of liver disease severity, including Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium score and decompensated cirrhosis status. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with cirrhosis, problematic drinking was associated with worse LDQoL, especially in the domains of memory/concentration and health distress. Assessment and awareness of cognitive deficits and negative emotionality within the context of cirrhosis and problematic drinking may help clinicians provide better integrated care for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy W. Luk
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Derek D. Satre
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Division of Research, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Ramsey Cheung
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Gastroenterology Section, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Robert J. Wong
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Gastroenterology Section, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Alexander Monto
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jennifer Y. Chen
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zuckerberg San Francisco General, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Steven L. Batki
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Mental Health Service, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michael J. Ostacher
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Hannah R. Snyder
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Amy M. Shui
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Meimei Liao
- Gastroenterology Section, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Christina G. Haight
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Veterans Affairs San Francisco Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mandana Khalili
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zuckerberg San Francisco General, San Francisco, California, USA
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Luk JW, Geda DW, Stangl BL, Cheng C, Schwandt ML, Goldman D, Diazgranados N, Ramchandani VA. Social media addiction as a mediator of the associations between fear of COVID-19, mental health symptoms, and problematic alcohol use. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1268890. [PMID: 38034930 PMCID: PMC10682110 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1268890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Fear of COVID-19 is a risk factor for anxiety and depressive symptoms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, drinking to cope with psychological distress has been proposed as a key mechanism leading to problematic drinking. The goal of this study was to test social media addiction as a mediator linking fear of COVID-19 to mental health symptoms and problematic alcohol use. Methods In between April 6 and July 2 of 2022, 250 participants completed an online survey as part of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Alcohol Study. Path analyses were conducted to test the mediational pathways. Results Using the polythetic classification scheme, 13.2% (n = 33) of participants were classified as having social media addiction. Compared with participants without social media addiction, participants with social media addiction spent significantly more time on social media platforms and on digital communications with a family member or friend. They also reported greater fear of COVID-19, higher anxiety symptoms, and higher depressive symptoms. Path analyses indicated that social media addiction mediated the associations of fear of COVID-19 with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, there were indirect pathways linking fear of COVID-19 to problematic alcohol use through higher social media addiction and higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. Conclusion Social media addiction may be a maladaptive coping mechanism that individuals with high fear of COVID-19 utilized to deal with uncertainty and perceived risks during the pandemic. Findings underscore the need to examine cognitions related to fear of COVID-19 and address excessive social media use in the context of mental health and alcohol interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy W. Luk
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Daniel W. Geda
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Bethany L. Stangl
- Human Psychopharmacology Laboratory, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Cecilia Cheng
- Social and Health Psychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Melanie L. Schwandt
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David Goldman
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Nancy Diazgranados
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Vijay A. Ramchandani
- Human Psychopharmacology Laboratory, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
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