COVID-19-related role disruption and alcohol use disorder risk among adults in South Korea

This cross-sectional study examined whether COVID-19-related disruption of occupational, social/leisure, and family roles was associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) risk among adults in South Korea. We analyzed data from 936 adults aged 20-69 years who participated in the 2022 Chungnam Provincial Mental Health Survey. COVID-19-related disruption was assessed across three role domains and categorized as low, moderate, or high. AUD risk was defined using the Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs), controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and depressive symptoms. Overall, 129 participants (13.8%) screened positive for AUD risk. The crude prevalence of AUD risk increased across disruption categories: 11.0% in the low-disruption group, 12.3% in the moderate-disruption group, and 20.8% in the high-disruption group. In the fully adjusted model, high disruption was associated with higher odds of AUD risk compared with low disruption (aOR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.10-3.39; p = 0.021), whereas moderate disruption was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that substantial pandemic-related role disruption may be associated with increased AUD risk, although causal inference is limited by the cross-sectional design.