What is it about?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people in Hungary reacted to stress in very different ways. While most adults did not change how much alcohol they drank, a small group did increase their consumption. Our study looked at why this happened. We found that not only age, gender, financial problems, and childcare demands mattered, but people’s personal values also played an important role. Those who place high importance on status and influence were more likely to drink more during the pandemic. In contrast, people focused on achievement or enjoyment tended to keep their drinking under control. Financial stress also made increased drinking more likely. These findings show that to reduce harmful alcohol use, especially during crises, policies should consider people’s motivations and life situations—not just general health messages or regulations.
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Why is it important?
This study is one of the first to examine how people’s core personal values shaped their alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic—a moment of intense and prolonged stress. While most research focuses on demographics or economic factors, our work shows that what people value (for example, status, achievement, or enjoyment) plays a major role in how they cope. By combining a nationally representative Hungarian dataset with an advanced statistical method that distinguishes between drinkers and non-drinkers, we provide a much clearer picture of who is most at risk of increasing alcohol use in a crisis. This timely evidence can help policymakers design more targeted and effective public health strategies, especially as societies face ongoing economic uncertainty, future health crises, and rising mental health challenges.
Perspectives
For me, this research highlighted how deeply personal motivations shape our behaviour, especially in times of crisis. I was struck by how strongly people’s core values—something we often think of as stable and private—can influence a decision as everyday as having a drink. The results reminded me that public health challenges are not only about external pressures like income or family responsibilities, but also about how individuals make sense of the world during stressful periods. My hope is that this work encourages policymakers and practitioners to look beyond “one-size-fits-all” solutions and to engage more thoughtfully with the diverse values that guide people’s choices.
Professor Imre Fertő
Eotvos Lorand Tudomanyegyetem
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Impact of Basic Human Values on Alcohol Use as a Coping Strategy During Chronic Stress: Insights for Sustainable Health Behaviours, Studies in Agricultural Economics, December 2025, Research Institute of Agricultural Economics,
DOI: 10.7896/j.3093.
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