Publication date: Feb 11, 2025

Mental health and alcohol problems are significant public health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Housing instability and symptoms of fatigue are understudied aspects of the pandemic. This study examined history of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), history of COVID-19 infection, and housing instability as correlates of fatigue, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Data were drawn from 250 adults enrolled in an online survey within the NIAAA COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Alcohol Study in between April 6 and June 2 of 2022. Participants completed self-report measures of housing stability, fatigue, and mental health symptoms. Multivariable analyses controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and household income were conducted. Individuals with a history of AUD reported higher mental fatigue, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms when compared to those with no history of AUD. Individuals with “other” housing arrangements (not renting or owning) reported higher mental fatigue, pandemic fatigue, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms relative to homeowners. Individuals who worried about not having a place to live in the past 6 months reported higher physical fatigue, mental fatigue, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms when compared to individuals without housing worry. History of COVID-19 infection was neither associated with mental health nor fatigue symptoms. Housing instability, as captured by housing worry and having “other” housing arrangements, was associated with greater fatigue and mental health problems, even after controlling for household income. Housing instability uniquely contributed to mental health symptoms, warranting further research and targeted prevention and intervention efforts.

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