Associations Between U.S. High-School Student and Parental Job Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Student Substance Use: Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES), 2021
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Job loss among both adults and adolescents increased markedly early in the COVID-19 pandemic. While parental job loss has been associated with the adverse effects, including adolescent substance use, no research is available on the effects of adolescent job loss on substance use. METHODS: Analyses of Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES) data from January to June 2021 were conducted to assess associations between parent and student pre-pandemic employment status and pandemic-era job loss and adolescent substance use behaviors. Cigarette, electronic vapor product (EVP), alcohol, and drug use were examined in a nationally representative sample of 7,705 U.S. high-school students. RESULTS: Compared to students who did not lose their job during the pandemic, students reporting job loss had significantly elevated prevalences of current EVP use (29.9% vs. 19.7%), drinking more alcohol during the pandemic (25.3% vs. 16.7%), and current marijuana use (25.8% vs. 15.6%). Additionally, parental job loss was significantly associated with all substance use behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of substance use associated with student and parental job loss, as well as parental unemployment, indicate that care may be needed for those students experiencing these losses. School-based intervention and prevention programs, including job loss supports for students, could be useful.
Source: Substance Use & Misuse
Authors: Taylor M. Shockey, Sharon R. Silver
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Award: G7543494365
OpenAlex ID: W4409344532