Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Risk Factors for Relapse
Background: The impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups like patients suffering from substance use disorders is expected to be tremendous, and corresponding concerns were raised early on by many experts around the world. Psychosocial distress, financial insecurities and physiolo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.620612/full |
| _version_ | 1819070594534080512 |
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| author | Kurosch Yazdi Kurosch Yazdi Isabella Fuchs-Leitner Isabella Fuchs-Leitner Jan Rosenleitner Jan Rosenleitner Nikolas W. Gerstgrasser Nikolas W. Gerstgrasser |
| author_facet | Kurosch Yazdi Kurosch Yazdi Isabella Fuchs-Leitner Isabella Fuchs-Leitner Jan Rosenleitner Jan Rosenleitner Nikolas W. Gerstgrasser Nikolas W. Gerstgrasser |
| author_sort | Kurosch Yazdi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups like patients suffering from substance use disorders is expected to be tremendous, and corresponding concerns were raised early on by many experts around the world. Psychosocial distress, financial insecurities and physiological problems associated with the COVID-19 crisis could be especially challenging for this group of patients.Methods: In the current study data was collected from a clinical sample of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD; N = 127) during the initial stage of the pandemic. The impact of various COVID-19 related factors (physiological, psychosocial, economic and others) on patients' personal life was evaluated. Alcohol consumption, craving, and potential posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed using different scales and their associations were analyzed. Furthermore, differences regarding these variables between comparably sized groups of patients who remained abstinent (N = 37), relapsed (N = 41), or reported unaltered drinking behavior (consuming subgroup, N = 49) were investigated. The impact of sociodemographic and COVID-19 factors on relapse (in comparison to abstinence) was evaluated using binary logistic regression analysis.Results: Our results confirmed the expected positive associations between alcohol consumption, craving, and PTSD symptoms, respectively, among patients with AUD. Furthermore, group differences indicate significantly lower levels on all three scales for abstinent patients. Although generally low PTSD scores were observed, 8% of our participants were found to be at risk of PTSD. Results of a binary logistic regression analysis indicated the presence of psychosocial COVID-19 factors (e.g., isolation, anxiety, and depression) as well as living alone as two major risk factors for relapse.Discussion: Our findings based on actual patient data support the anticipated negative consequences of the pandemic on persons with AUD. Crucially, our results regarding relapse emphasized psychosocial COVID-19 factors and isolation as especially challenging circumstances for persons with AUD, whereas economic and physiological health aspects seemed of minor impact on relapse. Our results reflect the initial stage of the pandemic, whereas long-term developments should be closely monitored. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T17:08:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28efe2cf310343ffbba1fbd486ab6742 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T17:08:25Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-28efe2cf310343ffbba1fbd486ab67422022-12-21T18:56:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402020-12-011110.3389/fpsyt.2020.620612620612Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Risk Factors for RelapseKurosch Yazdi0Kurosch Yazdi1Isabella Fuchs-Leitner2Isabella Fuchs-Leitner3Jan Rosenleitner4Jan Rosenleitner5Nikolas W. Gerstgrasser6Nikolas W. Gerstgrasser7Department of Psychiatry - Specialization Addiction Medicine, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, AustriaFaculty of Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, AustriaDepartment of Psychiatry - Specialization Addiction Medicine, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, AustriaFaculty of Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, AustriaDepartment of Psychiatry - Specialization Addiction Medicine, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, AustriaFaculty of Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, AustriaDepartment of Psychiatry - Specialization Addiction Medicine, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, AustriaFaculty of Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, AustriaBackground: The impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups like patients suffering from substance use disorders is expected to be tremendous, and corresponding concerns were raised early on by many experts around the world. Psychosocial distress, financial insecurities and physiological problems associated with the COVID-19 crisis could be especially challenging for this group of patients.Methods: In the current study data was collected from a clinical sample of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD; N = 127) during the initial stage of the pandemic. The impact of various COVID-19 related factors (physiological, psychosocial, economic and others) on patients' personal life was evaluated. Alcohol consumption, craving, and potential posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed using different scales and their associations were analyzed. Furthermore, differences regarding these variables between comparably sized groups of patients who remained abstinent (N = 37), relapsed (N = 41), or reported unaltered drinking behavior (consuming subgroup, N = 49) were investigated. The impact of sociodemographic and COVID-19 factors on relapse (in comparison to abstinence) was evaluated using binary logistic regression analysis.Results: Our results confirmed the expected positive associations between alcohol consumption, craving, and PTSD symptoms, respectively, among patients with AUD. Furthermore, group differences indicate significantly lower levels on all three scales for abstinent patients. Although generally low PTSD scores were observed, 8% of our participants were found to be at risk of PTSD. Results of a binary logistic regression analysis indicated the presence of psychosocial COVID-19 factors (e.g., isolation, anxiety, and depression) as well as living alone as two major risk factors for relapse.Discussion: Our findings based on actual patient data support the anticipated negative consequences of the pandemic on persons with AUD. Crucially, our results regarding relapse emphasized psychosocial COVID-19 factors and isolation as especially challenging circumstances for persons with AUD, whereas economic and physiological health aspects seemed of minor impact on relapse. Our results reflect the initial stage of the pandemic, whereas long-term developments should be closely monitored.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.620612/fullCOVID-19alcohol use disorder (AUD)relapsepsychosocial impactPTSD symptomisolation |
| spellingShingle | Kurosch Yazdi Kurosch Yazdi Isabella Fuchs-Leitner Isabella Fuchs-Leitner Jan Rosenleitner Jan Rosenleitner Nikolas W. Gerstgrasser Nikolas W. Gerstgrasser Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Risk Factors for Relapse Frontiers in Psychiatry COVID-19 alcohol use disorder (AUD) relapse psychosocial impact PTSD symptom isolation |
| title | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Risk Factors for Relapse |
| title_full | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Risk Factors for Relapse |
| title_fullStr | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Risk Factors for Relapse |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Risk Factors for Relapse |
| title_short | Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Risk Factors for Relapse |
| title_sort | impact of the covid 19 pandemic on patients with alcohol use disorder and associated risk factors for relapse |
| topic | COVID-19 alcohol use disorder (AUD) relapse psychosocial impact PTSD symptom isolation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.620612/full |
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