Yahaya Amir Zulhilmi Bin, Yee Anne, Sulaiman Ahmad Hatim
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 59100, Malaysia.
University Malaya Centre of Addiction Sciences (UMCAS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Jul 23;10(8):1366. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10081366.
There was a change in the pattern of substance usage among people who use substances during the COVID-19 pandemic period. This study aims to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pattern of substance usage among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) as well as levels of anxiety and depression together with coping mechanisms and the factors affecting the pattern of substance use during COVID-19 pandemic period. A cross-sectional study was applied. The questionnaire used was the Mini-European Web Survey on Drugs (EWSD): COVID-19, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Brief COPE Scale. In total, 130 PWUD were recruited. Of the participants, 36.2% of PWUD had not used/stopped the usage of illicit drugs/alcohol, 26.2% increased their usage, 20% decreased, and 14.6% used the same amount of illicit substances/alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic period/restrictions. In addition, 28.5% of PWUD had an increased intention to seek professional support for drug counseling/treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The prevalence anxiety and depression symptoms in PWUD according to HADS was 33% and 41.5%, respectively, with depression (p = 0.05) and isolation status (adjusted OR = 2.63, p < 0.05) being associated with an increase in alcohol/illicit substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. PWUD who had increased their intention to seek professional support had significantly higher odds (adjusted OR = 4.42, p < 0.01) of reducing their alcohol/illicit substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic period. There were increased odds of maintaining alcohol/illicit substance usage among PWUD who practiced dysfunctional coping (adjusted OR = 3.87, p < 0.025) during the COVID-19 pandemic period. In conclusion, depression, isolation status, dysfunctional coping, and intention to seek professional support affected the pattern of alcohol/illicit substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Strategies, substance rehabilitation/counseling, and proper mental health screening and the associated risk factors must be emphasized to prevent a further epidemic of substance use during the pandemic.
在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间，使用毒品的人群的物质使用模式发生了变化。本研究旨在确定2019冠状病毒病大流行对在马来亚大学医学中心（UMMC）接受治疗的吸毒者（PWUD）的物质使用模式、焦虑和抑郁水平、应对机制以及在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间影响物质使用模式的因素的影响。采用了横断面研究。所使用的问卷包括迷你欧洲药物网络调查（EWSD）：2019冠状病毒病、医院焦虑和抑郁量表（HADS）以及简易应对量表。总共招募了130名吸毒者。在参与者中，36.2%的吸毒者在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间/限制措施实施期间未使用/停止使用非法药物/酒精，26.2%的人使用量增加，20%的人使用量减少，14.6%的人使用的非法物质/酒精量相同。此外，28.5%的吸毒者在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间寻求药物咨询/治疗专业支持的意愿增强。根据HADS，吸毒者中焦虑和抑郁症状的患病率分别为33%和41.5%，抑郁（p = 0.05）和隔离状态（调整后的OR = 2.63，p < 0.05）与2019冠状病毒病大流行期间酒精/非法物质使用增加有关。在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间寻求专业支持意愿增强的吸毒者减少酒精/非法物质使用的几率显著更高（调整后的OR = 4.42，p < 0.01）。在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间采用功能失调应对方式的吸毒者维持酒精/非法物质使用的几率增加（调整后的OR = 3.87，p < 0.025）。总之，抑郁、隔离状态、功能失调应对方式以及寻求专业支持的意愿在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间影响了酒精/非法物质的使用模式。必须强调相关策略、物质康复/咨询以及适当的心理健康筛查和相关风险因素，以防止在大流行期间物质使用的进一步流行。
