It is well recognized that stressful events are associated with relapse, which underscores the current concern about the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on recovery. In particular, a recent U.S. study identified a potential mechanism linking stressors to relapse. Among adults in outpatient treatment for AUD, people were more likely to report cravings at night after having experienced a stressor during the day and those who experienced stressors throughout the day were more likely to drink the following day (Wemm et al., 2019). In addition, an analysis of a U.S. general population sample found that stressful life events were associated with higher odds of problematic use (i.e., one or more DSM-5 substance use disorder symptoms) among adults with a prior-to-past-year substance use disorder (McCabe et al., 2018). In one of the few studies of relapse during the COVID-19 pandemic, a biomarker analysis of a substance use treatment cohort in Spain found that patients had approximately twice the odds of a positive urine screen for alcohol use during the lock-down period as before (Barrio et al., 2021). In summary, it appears that stressors are associated with lower likelihood of successful resolution of an alcohol use disorder.
