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The pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors

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...

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Main Authors: Yahaya, Amir Zulhilmi, Yee, Anne, Sulaiman, Ahmad Hatim
Format: Article
Published: MDPI 2022
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R Medicine
Online Access:http://eprints.um.edu.my/41370/
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spelling my.um.eprints.413702023-09-20T07:35:07Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/41370/ The pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors Yahaya, Amir Zulhilmi Yee, Anne Sulaiman, Ahmad Hatim R Medicine 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. MDPI 2022-08 Article PeerReviewed Yahaya, Amir Zulhilmi and Yee, Anne and Sulaiman, Ahmad Hatim (2022) The pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors. Healthcare, 10 (8). ISSN 2227-9032, DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10081366 <https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10081366>. 10.3390/healthcare10081366
institution Universiti Malaya
building UM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Malaya
content_source UM Research Repository
url_provider http://eprints.um.edu.my/
topic R Medicine
spellingShingle R Medicine
Yahaya, Amir Zulhilmi
Yee, Anne
Sulaiman, Ahmad Hatim
The pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors
description 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.
format Article
author Yahaya, Amir Zulhilmi
Yee, Anne
Sulaiman, Ahmad Hatim
author_facet Yahaya, Amir Zulhilmi
Yee, Anne
Sulaiman, Ahmad Hatim
author_sort Yahaya, Amir Zulhilmi
title The pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors
title_short The pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors
title_full The pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors
title_fullStr The pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors
title_full_unstemmed The pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors
title_sort pattern of substance use among people who use drugs (pwud) receiving treatment at university malaya medical centre (ummc) during the covid-19 pandemic and the associated factors
publisher MDPI
publishDate 2022
url http://eprints.um.edu.my/41370/
_version_ 1778161663139119104
score 13.211869

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