Exploring profile, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids and classical opioids via Twitter: A qualitative study
Background and aims: Novel synthetic opioids’ use has been increasing over the last decade and the opioid epidemic has attributed to 70 % of drug-related deaths worldwide. Lately, Twitter has become one of the key social media platforms where the public express their unfiltered and honest views and...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Emerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions, and Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667118223000909 |
| _version_ | 1797365601843281920 |
|---|---|
| author | Abdullah Al-Hamid Carys Tudor Sulaf Assi |
| author_facet | Abdullah Al-Hamid Carys Tudor Sulaf Assi |
| author_sort | Abdullah Al-Hamid |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and aims: Novel synthetic opioids’ use has been increasing over the last decade and the opioid epidemic has attributed to 70 % of drug-related deaths worldwide. Lately, Twitter has become one of the key social media platforms where the public express their unfiltered and honest views and opinions anonymously and freely. Methodology: This research comprised a qualitative study that explored the motivations, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids from the perspectives of Tweeters. Tweets were extracted using NVivo 12 Pro by using the Chrome NCapture where thematic content analysis was applied. Extracted data from relevant tweets were coded into subthemes and themes. Findings: Five main themes were found related to uses of opioids; public knowledge and attitude, desired effects, adverse events, and harm reduction strategies. For public knowledge and attitude, users reported about sources of opioids, as well as purity, addiction potential and lethal effects. The main uses of opioids included self-medication and for recreational purposes. For self-medications, users sought opioids against anxiety, depression, pain, and overcoming a previous opioid addiction. However, adverse events related to opioid use surpassed the desired effects and were: psychosis, addiction, withdrawal, respiratory depression and lethal effects. Most of the adverse events were linked to novel opioids rather than classical ones. Conclusions: Twitter provided a valuable source of information regarding opioids’ modalities of use, desired effects and adverse events. These findings benefit practitioners and healthcare professionals dealing with opioid users. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:51:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab23e8c5a2d844538049aab3097a2982 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-1182 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:51:18Z |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Emerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions, and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab23e8c5a2d844538049aab3097a29822024-01-05T04:25:22ZengElsevierEmerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions, and Health2667-11822024-12-014100139Exploring profile, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids and classical opioids via Twitter: A qualitative studyAbdullah Al-Hamid0Carys Tudor1Sulaf Assi2College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, Saudi ArabiaPharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UKPharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK; Corresponding author.Background and aims: Novel synthetic opioids’ use has been increasing over the last decade and the opioid epidemic has attributed to 70 % of drug-related deaths worldwide. Lately, Twitter has become one of the key social media platforms where the public express their unfiltered and honest views and opinions anonymously and freely. Methodology: This research comprised a qualitative study that explored the motivations, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids from the perspectives of Tweeters. Tweets were extracted using NVivo 12 Pro by using the Chrome NCapture where thematic content analysis was applied. Extracted data from relevant tweets were coded into subthemes and themes. Findings: Five main themes were found related to uses of opioids; public knowledge and attitude, desired effects, adverse events, and harm reduction strategies. For public knowledge and attitude, users reported about sources of opioids, as well as purity, addiction potential and lethal effects. The main uses of opioids included self-medication and for recreational purposes. For self-medications, users sought opioids against anxiety, depression, pain, and overcoming a previous opioid addiction. However, adverse events related to opioid use surpassed the desired effects and were: psychosis, addiction, withdrawal, respiratory depression and lethal effects. Most of the adverse events were linked to novel opioids rather than classical ones. Conclusions: Twitter provided a valuable source of information regarding opioids’ modalities of use, desired effects and adverse events. These findings benefit practitioners and healthcare professionals dealing with opioid users.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667118223000909Novel synthetic opioidsOpioid epidemicTwitterThematic content analysisPublic knowledge and attitudeAdverse events |
| spellingShingle | Abdullah Al-Hamid Carys Tudor Sulaf Assi Exploring profile, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids and classical opioids via Twitter: A qualitative study Emerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions, and Health Novel synthetic opioids Opioid epidemic Thematic content analysis Public knowledge and attitude Adverse events |
| title | Exploring profile, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids and classical opioids via Twitter: A qualitative study |
| title_full | Exploring profile, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids and classical opioids via Twitter: A qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring profile, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids and classical opioids via Twitter: A qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring profile, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids and classical opioids via Twitter: A qualitative study |
| title_short | Exploring profile, effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids and classical opioids via Twitter: A qualitative study |
| title_sort | exploring profile effects and toxicity of novel synthetic opioids and classical opioids via twitter a qualitative study |
| topic | Novel synthetic opioids Opioid epidemic Thematic content analysis Public knowledge and attitude Adverse events |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667118223000909 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT abdullahalhamid exploringprofileeffectsandtoxicityofnovelsyntheticopioidsandclassicalopioidsviatwitteraqualitativestudy AT carystudor exploringprofileeffectsandtoxicityofnovelsyntheticopioidsandclassicalopioidsviatwitteraqualitativestudy AT sulafassi exploringprofileeffectsandtoxicityofnovelsyntheticopioidsandclassicalopioidsviatwitteraqualitativestudy |