Anxiety symptoms and alcohol abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study with Brazilian dental undergraduate students.

The prevalence of alcohol abuse and moderate or severe anxiety in Brazilian undergraduate dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic was high. Male students may be more sensitive to the presence of anxiety symptoms in this period, thus contributing to higher levels of alcohol consumption, in comparison to female students. Intervention strategies that promote the adoption of healthier lifestyles can enable the effective management of anxiety symptoms during the pandemic and thus, hold the potential to reduce exacerbated alcohol intake in this population.