Table 1 Operational definition of independent variables

Sociodemographic characteristics

Age (16–34, 35–54, ≥ 55 years old)

Gender (Woman, man)

Highest education (High school or less, college, university)

Household income (≤ $20 k, $21 k to $50 k, $51 k to $100 k, > $100 k)

Ethnicity (White, BIPOC)

Gender and sexual identity: self-declaration of LGBTQIA2S + identity (No, yes)

Household composition (Living alone, Living with others)

Migration status (Canadian-born, immigrant)

Place of residence in Saskatchewan (Regina, Saskatoon, north, central, south)

Mental health status

Diagnosis of mental health disorder? (No, yes-before pandemic, yes-during pandemic)

COVID-19 related or pandemic stress (No, yes)

Adaptability

Resilience^a: ability to bounce back after pandemic is over (grouped into low (< 3) or normal/high (≥ 3))

Recent changes in coping behaviors (2 subscales generated from 11-items using factor analysis, see appendix A)

i. Changes in other substance use (median classification: low, high)

ii. Changes in alternative activities (median classification: low, high)

Accessibility to formal treatment services

Mental health services (not needed and not accessed, needed but not accessed, needed and accessed)

Cannabis addiction services (Not applicable, no, yes)

Alcohol addiction services (Not applicable, no, yes)