Women may be particularly vulnerable to increases in drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic [21–23]. Two independent studies found that women were more likely than men to have a recurrence of AUD when experiencing interpersonal conflict, whereas men were more likely than women to have a recurrence of AUD in response to social isolation [21–23]. Higher trauma exposure was associated with a higher risk of relapse only in women [23]. Being married has been identified as a relapse risk factor for women but a protective factor for men [21]. Because gender differences are often not examined in studies of individuals with AUD, robust, nuanced, and consistent findings regarding the role of gender in the associations of stress with drinking outcomes are unavailable. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, some studies have found greater increases in adverse drinking outcomes among women than men [9, 11]. Given the unique stressors experienced by women during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily related to balancing work and caregiving duties, further research is needed regarding gender differences in the relationships between COVID-19 pandemic stressors and increases in drinking among individuals with past AUD.
