Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland.
Faculty of Social Sciences, Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland.
BMC Public Health. 2022 Mar 15;22(1):500. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-12873-y.
People who use drugs (PWUD) are considered vulnerable to COVID-19 exposure and the sequelae of infection due to their social circumstances, health conditions, drug purchasing, and substance use. They can depend on access to services that provide harm reduction, substance use treatment, recovery and support, and general healthcare. Social distancing measures and service restrictions posed significant challenges to the health and wellbeing of PWUD.
Ethical approvals were secured. PWUD were recruited from voluntary sector homeless and housing, harm reduction, and recovery organisations across central Scotland. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and analysed using the Framework Method.
Twenty nine PWUD participated and reported mixed experiences of the impacts of COVID-19 lockdown. Several benefitted from policy and practice developments designed to sustain or increase access to harm reduction services. Some PWUD reported improved access to substitute prescribing and/or appreciated being trusted to manage multiple take-home doses. Others noted the loss of regular in-person contact with treatment providers and dispensers. Access to recovery support was challenging for many, especially those unable to access or uncomfortable with online provision who experienced greater isolation. Lack of access to general healthcare services was common, and especially problematic for PWUD with chronic physical and mental health conditions.
This qualitative research describes the impacts of COVID-19 social and service restrictions on PWUD in Scotland. These impacts were anticipated by policy makers and service providers. Effective and acceptable developments were shown to maintain and even increase service provision for PWUD. Developments were geographically dependent and significant challenges remained for many people. The learning generated can inform responses to increase service access and uptake in post-pandemic times.
由于社会环境、健康状况、毒品购买和使用等因素，吸毒者（PWUD）被认为容易接触到 COVID-19 并感染该病毒及其后遗症。他们可以依赖获得提供减少伤害、药物使用治疗、康复和支持以及一般医疗保健的服务。社交距离措施和服务限制对 PWUD 的健康和福祉构成了重大挑战。
获得了伦理批准。从苏格兰中部的志愿部门无家可归者和住房、减少伤害和康复组织中招募了 PWUD。通过半结构化访谈收集数据，并使用框架方法进行分析。
29 名 PWUD 参与并报告了 COVID-19 封锁对他们的影响。一些人受益于旨在维持或增加获得减少伤害服务的政策和实践发展。一些 PWUD 报告说，他们更容易获得替代处方，或者更愿意信任自己管理多份带回家的剂量。其他人则指出，他们与治疗提供者和药剂师的定期面对面接触减少了。许多人很难获得康复支持，尤其是那些无法或不愿意接受在线服务的人，他们感到更加孤立。缺乏获得一般医疗保健服务的机会很普遍，对于患有慢性身体和精神健康状况的 PWUD 来说尤其成问题。
这项定性研究描述了 COVID-19 社会和服务限制对苏格兰 PWUD 的影响。政策制定者和服务提供者已经预料到了这些影响。有效和可接受的发展表明，为 PWUD 维持甚至增加了服务提供。发展情况因地理位置而异，许多人仍然面临重大挑战。产生的经验教训可以为增加服务的可及性和接受度提供信息，以应对疫情后的时期。
