Readable research linked to original sources
Articles
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
Loading articles data…
Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
Loading articles data…
Readable research linked to original sources
Browse normalized, publication-ready research with direct links to its evidence and source.
44 articles
Newest firstIntroduction The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with high levels of depression and anxiety among pregnant individuals in the UK, as shown previously in the EPPOCH cohort. However, the relationships between these psychological burdens, pandemic-related stressors, and substance use in the prenatal period have not been systematically investigated. Methods To address this gap, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis…
Open article record in new tab ↗Background The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected certain populations, with intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors facing heightened risks of adverse health outcomes. This study examined whether women who experienced IPV during Ontario's COVID-19 lockdowns were more likely to report negative behavioural, psychological, and physiological health outcomes compared to women who did not experience IPV . M…
Background The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted face-to-face alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services and prompted greater use of telehealth. This study measured the impact of COVID-19 on outpatient treatment episodes before, during, and after stay-at-home orders were introduced. Methods This observational study used routinely collected data from community-based non-government AOD services in New South Wales (NS…
Introduction The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic beginning in 2020 led to significant restrictions on social life and mobility, raising concerns about increased substance use across the general population. To investigate whether the pandemic resulted in quantitative or qualitative changes in alcohol and/or drug use in the context of road traffic, a retrospective analysis of toxicological findings was conducted in the city of…
Background Mental health implications of COVID-19 drug use patterns are still unclear. Methods We used data-driven clustering in a large citizen science cohort recruited agnostically to an interest in drug-use to categorise people according to common patterns of drug use and analysed their mental health symptoms (GAD-7 and PHQ-9 items), from recruitment prior to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 (N = 242,260) to three…
Open article record in new tab ↗Background The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the challenges associated with mental health and substance use (SU), with societal and economic upheavals leading to heightened stress and increased reliance on drugs as a coping mechanism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from June 2020 showed that 13% of Americans used substances more frequently due to pandemic-related stress, accompanied by an 18% rise…
Background Race/ethnicity-related discrimination against Asian Americans increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies have found an association between discrimination and use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) as a form of coping. In this study, we evaluate the association of stress from race/ethnicity-related discrimination and coping with tobacco, alcohol, or cannabis (marijuana or cannabidiol) among A…
Open article record in new tab ↗Social media has become an increasingly important way to seek and share experiences, support, knowledge, and advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reddit, a pseudonymous social media platform, was one way that young people interacted during the pandemic. Our study goals were two-fold: (1) to categorize information sought and provided by users of r/saplings, a subreddit devoted to cannabis use and is often used by y…
Open article record in new tab ↗Background Public health unit (PHU) engagement in schools is important for promoting wellness in students. We aimed to investigate if PHU engagement with schools may have provided protection against the risk of depression and anxiety in students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We used longitudinal data from the Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol use, Smoking and Sedentary behaviour…
Open article record in new tab ↗The COVID-19 pandemic presents a major threat to global public health. Several lines of evidence have shown that the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), along with two other highly pathogenic coronaviruses, SARS-CoV and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) originated from bats. To prevent and control future coronavirus outbreaks, it is necessary to investigate the interspecies infe…
Background Young adults face unique vulnerabilities during major life disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic contributed to increases in mental health challenges and substance use among young adults. This study explores the experiences of young adults who increased their cannabis use during the pandemic. Methods Participants were recruited from the Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study, and quali…
Open article record in new tab ↗Objectives Few are the longitudinal studies on the changes in moderate or severe symptoms of anxiety or depression (MSS-ANXDEP) from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The aim was to study the change in MSS-ANXDEP and associated sociodemographic, economic, psychosocial, health behaviour and lifestyle, and clinical factors. Methods The current sample includes 59,997 adults aged ≥ 35 years participati…
Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has had unprecedented and deteriorating effects on the mental health of adolescents and young adults. Various studies have described changes regarding substance abuse, but findings are conflicting. Study design We conducted a cross-sectional online survey on nicotine, alcohol, and illicit drug use. Methods From March to May 2023, 502 participants aged 14-24 from a community-based s…
Open article record in new tab ↗Globally, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in 2019 has accelerated the adoption of telehealth technologies. The implementation of the Saudi Telemedicine Network (STN) and other digital health initiatives, such as the telehealth clinic (THC) at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAAUH), exemplifies this trend in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to explore the patients' experience of…
Background Some people use illicit drugs to relieve stress. However, these drugs cause serious damage not only to individuals but also to society as a whole. Stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is considerable, as the number of illicit drug users continues to increase, despite a decrease in the availability of drugs and opportunities to leave the house during the pandemic. Fear of COVID-19 causes stress; howeve…
Open article record in new tab ↗Objective To describe the changes in alcohol and drug use by Brazilian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic (April-August 2021), and to analyze the relationship between alcohol use changes and psychiatric symptomatology. Methods A secondary analysis with a longitudinal approach was performed with data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial, conducted in 73 public middle schools in three Brazilian cities, t…
Open article record in new tab ↗Background Marijuana potency and utilization both continue to increase across the United States. While the overall prevalence of cannabinoid utilization during pregnancy has been surveyed in various studies, the direct impact of changing governmental policies on pregnancy use is less characterized. Thus, we aimed to investigate how the legalization of recreational cannabinoid products impacted use during pregnancy…
Open article record in new tab ↗Importance Young children are ingesting illicit drugs at increased rates, but it is unknown what the associated child protection system (CPS) responses are when a child tests positive. Objective To document the child protection system involvement and the characteristics of children who test positive for illicit substances. Design, setting, and participants This retrospective cross-sectional study linked medical di…
The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 impacted health systems globally, creating increased workload and mental stress upon health care workers (HCW). During the first pandemic wave (March to May 2020) in southern Germany, we investigated the impact of stress and the resilience to stress in HCW by measuring changes in hair concentrations of endocannabinoids, endocannabinoid-like compounds and cortisone. HCW (n = 178) r…
Background Cannabis use before the COVID-19 pandemic for many involved sharing prepared cannabis for inhalation, practices that were less prevalent during the pandemic. State-level COVID-19 containment policies may have influenced this decrease. This study examined the extent to which the intensity of state-level COVID-19 policies were associated with individual-level cannabis sharing. Findings have the potential…
Open article record in new tab ↗