Impact of COVID-19 on Drug Use-and How It Contributes to Overdose Risk-ScienceDaily

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a surge in drug overdose, with more than 100,000 deaths from overdose in the United States during the 12 months to April 2021. Home-based orders may have contributed to this increase in mortality, from interruption of harm mitigation programs to isolation and deterioration of mental health.

Given the high use of opioids and methamphetamines in many rural areas and the already limited drug treatment and harm reduction services, people living in rural areas using drugs were brought during the pandemic. Changes can be disproportionately affected. People who use drugs in rural areas may also experience a higher level of stigma about drug use, which makes them more likely to use the drug alone and may hesitate to seek medical care. I have.

In a series of surveys and interviews with people using drugs in rural southern Illinois, researchers found that COVID-19’s pandemic experience and structural and community-level confusion are risks of individual overdose. I tried to understand how it affects me. Between August 2020 and May 2021, researchers conducted a survey of 50 individuals injecting opioids (no prescription) or drugs and conducted detailed interviews with a subset of 17 participants. rice field.

“We know that overdose deaths have tragically increased during the pandemic. Our study shows that why When how Susan Walters, a research assistant professor at NYU School of Global Public Medicine and a researcher at New York University’s Center for Drug Use and HIV / HCV Research (CDUHR), said:

Unlike the general public, drug users reported worsening economic conditions (already suffering from widespread poverty) and mental health during the pandemic. Only 38% of participants are confident that they will be able to maintain a stable income during the pandemic, thanks to layoffs, job interruptions in the service industry, and reduced jobs available. In addition, participants reported that the pandemic exacerbated housing and food insecurity.

A significant proportion of participants reported impaired mental health. Three-quarters of the survey respondents felt anxiety and anxiety during the pandemic, more than half were depressed, and nearly half felt lonely. Anxiety and depression are associated with increased substance use, which can increase the risk of overdose.

Participants also explained how the pandemic changed everyday substance use behavior. Two-thirds of survey respondents said the process of getting medicines was more difficult during a pandemic, and more than half were worried that in the near future they would end up with bad batches of dangerous medicines. Was there. In particular, half of the survey respondents said they are more likely to use the drug alone now than before the pandemic, which may increase the risk of overdose.

The interview revealed a new trend of consuming fentanyl “beans” or “buttons” described as small capsules filled with fentanyl. Participants said fentanyl was cheaper and more accessible than heroin, which was difficult to obtain during a pandemic.

“Our findings suggest that structural and community problems during the pandemic have increased anxiety, depression, and loneliness at the individual level. Fear of fentanil and increased access to fentanil. Many people talked about it, and drug use patterns have changed. It increases the risk of overdose. “

To prevent overdose, researchers not only ensure access to resources and services at the individual level, but also more systematically, such as increasing access to economic opportunities and reducing stigma associated with drug use. And encourages you to address community issues.

Additional study authors include Rebecca Bolinski, Stacy Grundy, and Wiley Jenkins of Southern Illinois University. Ellen Almirol, John Schneider, My Four at the University of Chicago. Scott Felsher of Community Action Place, Inc.; Samuel Friedmann of CDUHR and NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Lawrence Ouellet at the University of Illinois at Chicago; Daniel Onpad at CDUHR and NYU Global Public Health School. This work was funded by the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program (UL1TR001445) and the National Institute of Substance Abuse (K01DA053159, P30DA01104, T32 DA007233-31, R25DA026401, 4UH3DA044829-03).