Assessing clinical impacts and attitudes related to COVID-19 among residential substance use disorder patients

Abstract

Background: Individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) may be particularly at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes to the pandemic among individuals with SUD. Methods: Survey responses from 266 patients entering a residential treatment program were analyzed. Results: Most participants were White or African American men. A third of participants reported that their substance use had increased during the pandemic (38%), and that they had stockpiled substances because of concerns about supply (30%). A majority of participants indicated more depression (60%), anxiety (61%), worry about finances (62%), and feeling worse about their substance use due to COVID-19 (67%). An exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors that measured interest in SUD treatment, psychological symptoms, adherence to health recommendations, perceptions of vulnerability to COVID-19, and substance use during COVID-19. African American participants indicated a greater interest in treatment than Whites, while White participants indicated increased symptoms and substance use during COVID-19 (p < .05). Further, African Americans were more likely to have known someone who had developed COVID-19 than whites (p < .05). Older participants indicated adhering to health recommendations more than younger participants, using substances less than younger participants, as well as feeling more vulnerable to COVID-19 (p < .05). Conclusions: This is the first study to examine patient attitudes and behaviors related to COVID-19 at a residential SUD treatment program. Treatment providers should be aware of patient attitudes and behaviors related to COVID-19 paying special attention to barriers to treatment engagement.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• substance use treatment
• treatment engagement
• patient attitudes

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Jennifer Stidham for her assistance with data entry and quality assurance.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.