Effect of Covid-19 pandemic period on pattern of substance usage among people who use drugs (PWUD) receiving treatment at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in Malaysia / Amir Zulhilmi Yahaya
COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) was announced by World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic and is rising in the number of infections around the globe. This pandemic virus causes a certain vulnerable population to have higher morbidities and mortalities, for example; Substance Use D...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
2022
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| Online Access: | http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/14812/4/Amir.pdf http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/14812/ |
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| Summary: | COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) was announced by World Health Organization
(WHO) as a global pandemic and is rising in the number of infections around the globe.
This pandemic virus causes a certain vulnerable population to have higher morbidities
and mortalities, for example; Substance Use Disorder patients or people who use
alcohol/illicit substances which in turn, causes a change of pattern of substance usage
among them during this COVID-19 pandemic period. This study aims to determine the
effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic Period on the Pattern of Substance Usage Among
People Who Use Drugs ( PWUD) Receiving Treatment in the University Malaya Medical
Centre (UMMC) as well as levels of anxiety and depression among them together with
their coping mechanism as well as other associating factors that affected it. This is a cross sectional study among 130 peoples who use drugs/alcohol (PWUD),
receiving treatment in University Malaya Medical Centre and convenient sampling was
used for recruitment. The participants who agreed to participate in this study will answer
an online questionnaire which include socio – demographic questionnaire, The Mini –
European Web Survey On Drugs (EWSD) : COVID 19, Hospital Anxiety and Depression
Scale (HADS) and Brief COPE Scale (both validated Malay and English version). The data collection took place from 6 July 2020 – 31 October 2021. The prevalence and
pattern of each of the substance/alcohol use was determined. Univariate and multivariate
analysis were done to determine the association between different change in the pattern
of substance use with isolation status during COVID-19, depression, anxiety, and coping skills. 130 people who use drugs/alcohol (PWUD) completed the online survey. There were
36.2% of PWUDs had not used/stop the usage of illicit drugs/alcohol, 26.2% increased
their usage, 20% of them decreased, and 14.6% of them used the same amount of illicit
substances/alcohol during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period/ Restrictions. Most of the
PWUD in UMMC used multiple substances (14.6%), followed by heroin, alcohol, and
amphetamine-type stimulant (12.3% for each of them), and lastly cannabis (6.9%). Most
of the PWUD increased their illicit substances/alcohol usage during the COVID-19
Pandemic Period/restrictions because of boredom (23.1%) and anxiety to cope with
COVID-19 (11.6%). Around 48.5% of the PWUDs experienced physical and home
isolation, 26.6% had physical isolation and 6.2% of them had physical and home isolation
as well as being quarantined. There were 28.5% of PWUDs had an increased intention to
seek professional support for drug counseling/treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Period. The prevalence of PWUD who had anxiety and depression symptoms in HADS
were 33% and 41.5% respectively, with depression being associated with an increase in
alcohol/illicit substance use. PWUD who experienced isolation during the COVID-19
pandemic have significantly higher odds of increasing their alcohol/illicit substances
usage. There were also noted increased odds of maintaining the alcohol/illicit substance
usage during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period among PWUDs who practices dysfunctional coping. PWUDs who has to increase their intention to seek professional
support does have significantly higher odds of reducing their alcohol/illicit substances
usage during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period. COVID-19 Pandemic does significantly affect the population of substance users in
Malaysia. Our study highlighted that anxiety and depression were prevalent among
PWUD. Depression, isolation status, dysfunctional coping, and intention to seek
professional support does affect the pattern of alcohol/illicit substance use during the
COVID-19 Pandemic Period. A more vast prospective longitudinal study is imminent to
highlight these associating factors and causal relationships among them. |
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