Differences in hazardous drinking and drinking to cope by sexual identity among women during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Although hazardous drinking among women increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, few studies have examined disparities between sexual minority women (SMW) and heterosexual women during this period.Methods Data from two surveys were combined (N = 1396 [262 lesbian, 199 bisexual, and 935 heterosexual women]) to compare alcohol-related outcomes during the first year of the pandemic.Results Heavy drinking, intoxication, and drinking to cope were significantly higher among SMW than among heterosexual women. Drinking to cope was strongly associated with heavy drinking and frequent intoxication for both SMW and heterosexual women.Conclusions Findings underscore the potential value of ­coping-focused interventions for SMW.