Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on alcohol consumption in patients with pre-existing alcohol use disorder

Source:

Kim, J. U., Majid, A., Judge, R., Crook, P., Nathwani, R., Selvapatt, N., ... & Lewis, H. (2020). Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on alcohol consumption in patients with pre-existing alcohol use disorder. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

A complex interplay of heightened financial difficulties, social isolation, uncertainty about the future, and the redistribution of the health workforce and the disruption to clinical services could contribute to increased alcohol intake and relapse under lockdown conditions, and, subsequently, contribute to further liver-associated complications via direct injury or through late presentations to the appropriate services.