Developments in Drug Addiction During COVID-19—An Austrian Perspective Based on a Clinical Sample

Abstract

Concerns about the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with substance use disorder (SUD) were raised by experts in the field around the world. Here we provide an Austrian perspective, discussing the impact of the pandemic on help-seeking patient with drug use disorder during the initial stage of the pandemic. Our perspectives are based on the situation as perceived at our clinical facility, and supported by original data collected from a small clinical sample of patients with drug use disorder (N = 32). The viewpoints and related descriptive data include the perceived individual impact of COVID-19, as well as various aspects of drug use behavior and the Austrian drug market before and after the onset of the pandemic. The consequences for a subgroup of patients in opioid substitution treatment (N = 24) are discussed. Surprisingly and in contrast to anticipated developments, we had the impression of a rather stable situation in Austria, at least at this early stage of the pandemic. The immediate impact of COVID-19 on these help-seeking patients with high levels of drug dependency seemed less severe than anticipated so far. Importantly, this observation might be a short-term effect for this already fragile group and careful monitoring of further developments as well as preparation of long-term strategies are advised. In general, problematic drug use is associated with many health risk factors and finding appropriate long-term health care strategies has to remain a top priority facing the pandemic. Our perspectives are restricted to observations from help-seeking patients at our clinic, and no conclusions for the general population can be directly drawn.

Risk of PTSD Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Patients in Opioid Substitution Treatment

“…Substantial changes on the Austrian drug market—in particular for quality, prices, and availability of illicit substances—were not observed in this study. This finding is an extension of our prior research, in which a rather stable situation was indicated during the initial phase of the pandemic ( 7 ). Prior research on the impact of the pandemic on addictive behaviors indicated both, decrease and increase in substance use, with different samples and consumption patterns.…”

“…Among our sample nearly half of the patients admitted consumption of other substances than prescribed. This is an extension to our previous research based on a small sample of patients suffering from SUDs ( 7 ). Crucially, in our prior sample nearly 80% had admitted concomitant use of illicit drugs, which might be explained by the fact, that this prior sample consisted mainly of inpatient participants, and not all of them were in OST.…”

“…In the context of the pandemic, in our previous study ( N = 32) 79% of the participants in OST indicated concomitant use of other illicit drugs during the initial phase of the pandemic ( 7 ). However, this number has to be interpreted with caution, given potential biases due to the small sample size and a high proportion of inpatient participants in this study.…”

“…The negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic include physiological, psychological, social and economic burdens [see also our prior research on alcohol use disorder ( 6 ), as well as a perspective based on a small sample of patients in treatment for drug use disorder ( 7 )]. These far-ranging effects might be particularly demanding for vulnerable groups, like patients suffering from substance use disorders (SUDs) ( 8 ).…”

Investigating the impact of COVID-19 on performance and image enhancing drug use

“…An audit of illicit drug-related presentations to an emergency department found a decrease in presentations during COVID compared with pre-COVID (4). Greater concern has been given to those already living with a substance use disorder and in some form of treatment, given the disruption caused to accessing treatment and harm reduction services, however some research suggests that this group may have experienced fewer consequences than anticipated; one Austrian study with patients in opioid substitution treatment found that while this group did experience di culties, these were less severe than expected (5). It is important to recognise that in all instances, these ndings re ect the differing situations in the countries where the research was conducted, as well as the speci c populations under investigation.…”