Adolescents’ Psychoactive Substance Use During the First COVID-19 Lockdown: A Cross Sectional Study in Italy

Abstract

Background Italy was one of the first European countries to be affected by Covid-19. Due to the severity of the pandemic, the Italian government imposed a nationwide lockdown which had a great impact on the population, especially adolescents. Distance-learning, moving restrictions and pandemic-related concerns, resulted in a particularly stressful situation. Objective This cross-sectional study aims to analyse substance consumption and its associated factors during the Covid-19 lockdown imposed by the Italian government. Methods ESPAD is a questionnaire that is administered yearly in Italian high schools. In 2020, it was administered online during dedicated hours of distance learning, collecting data from 6027 Italian students (52.4% were male) aged 15–19. Data collected from the 2020 questionnaire was matched with that collected in 2019, in order to make them comparable. Results The prevalence of consumption of each substance decreased during the restriction period, and the most used substance during the lockdown period was alcohol (43.1%). There were some changes in factors associated with psychoactive substance use, especially painkillers and non-prescription drugs. For instance, unlike what was observed in the 2019 model, in 2020 spending money without parental control was associated with painkillers and non-prescription drug use while risk perception was not. Conclusions The restrictions and the increased difficulties in obtaining psychoactive substances did not prevent their consumption, and students with particular risk factors continued to use them, possibly changing the substance type of substance. This information is useful in order to better understand adolescents’ substance use during the ongoing pandemic.

Socio‐emotional, cognitive, affective disorders and substance use in a sample of students in first‐ and second‐grade high school in Italy: A comparison among students', parents', and teachers' perceptions

“…The important findings of our study are related to substance use and data confirmed by studies conducted during the lockdown (Biagioni et al, 2023). Significant differences emerged among the three groups of participants (students, teachers, and parents) regarding substance use.…”

“…Approximately one in three students who had never used substances reported using them more frequently (Brener et al, 2022; Chaiton et al, 2022). Italian students drank alcohol (43.1%); 4.2% became intoxicated, 16% engaged in binge drinking by consuming five or more drinks in a row, 18.4% smoked at least one cigarette, 5.9% used cannabis, and 0.9% used at least one illegal substance (Biagioni et al, 2023). Studies in this regard are contradictory: the results of other surveys suggest that the prevalence of substance use declined (Zolopa et al, 2022) because the availability of and access to them was limited (Layman et al, 2022), with students forced to stay at home.…”

Loneliness, affective disorders, suicidal ideation, and the use of psychoactive substances in a sample of adolescents during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A cross‐sectional study

“…According to Chaiton et al (2022), the largest increases were observed in the consumption of alcohol (+19%), cigarettes (+16%), e‐cigarettes (+37%), and cannabis (+47%). In regard to the prevalence of psychoactive substance consumption among youths during Italy's lockdown period, an estimated 43.1% of students drank alcohol, 4.2% became intoxicated, and 16% engaged in binge drinking characterized by having five or more drinks in a row; 18.4% reported smoked at least one cigarette; 5.9% used cannabis; and 0.9% reported using at least one illegal substance (Biagioni et al, 2022).…”

Self-Regulation as a Protective Factor against Bullying during Early Adolescence

“…Youth who are victims of bullying have been shown to exhibit a number of important social deficits, including low levels of social acceptance, poor friend and peer support, inadequate social skills and social assertiveness, and greater loneliness [13][14][15]. Victims also have poorer school attendance and academic achievement [16,17] and are at greater risk of depressive symptoms and anxiety [18][19][20]. Several studies have shown that bullying behavior and substance use often co-occur in the same individuals [21][22][23], although the rates vary as a function of bullying roles.…”