ABSTRACT

Sexual minority women (SMW; e.g., lesbian, bisexual, queer) are at increased risk for heavy/hazardous drinking and marijuana use, which may be exacerbated by stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate its spread (e.g., sheltering at home). To explore their experiences and perceptions of alcohol and marijuana use in the context of COVID-19, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of 16 SMW from a longitudinal study who previously reported being at least moderate drinkers to explore their experiences and perceptions of alcohol and marijuana use during the pandemic. We used descriptive phenomenological analysis to explore data from the interviews. Participants described how their alcohol/marijuana use intersected with the complex and changing context of the pandemic, revealing four themes: 1) losing and creating routine; 2) seeking recreation and relief; 3) connecting, reconnecting, and disconnecting; and 4) monitoring alcohol and marijuana use boundaries. Findings highlight the importance of fostering community supports and possible interventions informed by the experiences of SMW.

摘要

性少数女性（SMW；例如，女同性恋、双性恋、酷儿）面临大量/危险饮酒和吸食大麻的风险增加，这可能会因与 COVID-19 大流行相关的压力和减轻其传播的努力（例如，庇护在家）。为了探索他们在 COVID-19 的背景下对酒精和大麻使用的经历和看法，对来自纵向研究的 16 个 SMW 的不同样本进行了定性深入访谈，这些样本之前报告至少是适度饮酒者，以探索他们的经历和大流行期间对酒精和大麻使用的看法。我们使用描述性现象学分析来探索访谈数据。参与者描述了他们的酒精/大麻使用如何与大流行的复杂和不断变化的背景相交叉，揭示了四个主题：1）失去和创造常规；2）寻求娱乐和救济；3) 连接、重新连接和断开连接；4) 监控酒精和大麻的使用界限。调查结果强调了促进社区支持的重要性以及根据 SMW 的经验可能采取的干预措施。