A systematic review of alcohol consumption and disorders in relation to disasters

Excessive alcohol use and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are serious medical problems in general populations. Alcohol use is associated with stressful events. Thus it is possible that problems with alcohol use increase in association with disasters. It is important to know the extent to which disasters contribute to these problems in exposed populations.

This review focused on the associations of alcohol use, problematic alcohol use, and AUDs with disasters. Alcohol variables were examined for predisaster to postdisaster changes and differences between samples according to disaster exposures.

In all, 44 studies were found that addressed the association of alcohol variables with disaster. Much of this research had substantive methodological difficulties limiting the conclusions. Most research examining changes in alcohol use after disasters reported increases, but the increases were clinically small, amounting to ≤1 drink per day, and alcohol use returned to predisaster levels over time. The research on problematic alcohol use provided little evidence of an association with disasters. The studies of AUDs did not support their association with disaster.

Even without clear evidence that disasters cause increases in alcohol use problems, it is important in the postdisaster setting to assess problems of alcohol use along with psychopathology.