Alcohol behaviour and consequences during COVID-19. A research in Italy on a sample of university students.
Authors: Malizia Nicola 
Published: May 2021

Background This study explored the drinking behaviour of a sample of 351 Italian university students during COVID-19 in the year 2020, in order to understand whether restrictions, including social isolation imposed to avoid contagion, led to an increase or decrease in alcohol consumption at the individual level. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and an online self-report questionnaire were used for this purpose. The research also investigated the knowledge of university students regarding the risks associated with alcohol use and the consequences on university performance, as well as on a personal, psychological, social and family level. Finally, the relationship between boredom and alcoholism during the pandemic phase was studied. Results Response rates were 100% (n=351). With regard to the "absences or tardiness in the virtual university class" for alcoholic conduct, it was found that only a small number of students have used alcohol (with reference to the AUDIT) and became dependent during the Covid-19 pandemic in the year 2020; with regard to the "low personal performance at university" related to alcohol (with reference to the AUDIT), there is also in this case a small number of students who use alcohol in the pandemic period have found a low performance in university studies. The research has investigated, moreover, the appearance of psychological problems as a result of alcoholic conduct (AUDIT) in the sample of reference, concerning conflicts with parents, depression, anxiety, emotional oscillations, irritability and low tolerance, as well as, personal problems of a social nature. The results show that in college students, alcohol has no significant consequences. Finally, the relationship between "boredom and alcohol behavior" (AUDIT) during the pandemic phase of the year 2020 was investigated: the results show that boredom was felt by a high number of university males and females and a significant number used alcoholic substances, even becoming addicted, and considering alcohol as a real refuge. Conclusion The research carried out has a twofold objective: 1) to evaluate the alcoholic behavior during the pandemic phase of Covid-19 by a sample of university students (N=351); 2) to understand the knowledge of the risks related to alcoholic behavior at a personal, family, sociological and psychological level, in a more general and non-pandemic context. The research has some limitations due to the smallness of the sample, although the results obtained could be useful as a starting point for future research, with larger samples and oriented especially to problematic and non-problematic alcohol behavior. It would certainly be necessary a vast and effective worldwide campaign of information and awareness on the risks of alcohol, dedicating, especially in this period, even an hour of training in virtual university classrooms, to make people understand how alcoholic behavior is potentially harmful both during emergencies such as a pandemic, and in convivial and aggregation contexts that characterize the modern life of young people. Effectively informing people about the risks of alcohol responds to a need for prevention, erasing the belief that drinking is not bad for you.