Substance use, psychiatric symptoms, personal mastery, and social support among COVID-19 long haulers: A compensatory model

Abstract

Background Substance use has become a critical health concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, and emerging attention has been paid to people with the persistent symptoms of COVID-19 (COVID-19 long haulers) due to their high vulnerability. However, scant research has investigated their substance use and relevant psychosocial factors. The current study was to (1) examine substance use behaviors (i.e., legal drug use, illicit drug use, and non-medical use of prescription drugs); and (2) assessed their associations with psychiatric symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder) and psychosocial factors (i.e., personal mastery and social support) among COVID-19 long haulers. Methods In January–March 2022, 460 COVID-19 long haulers (50% female), with an average age of 32, completed online surveys regarding their demographics, substance use, psychiatric symptoms, and psychosocial factors. Results In the past three months, the most commonly used or non-medically used substances were tobacco (82%) for legal drugs, cocaine (53%) for illicit drugs, and prescription opioids (67%) for prescription drugs. Structural equation modeling suggested that psychiatric symptoms were positively associated with substance use behaviors (βs = 0.38 to .68, ps < 0.001), while psychosocial factors were negatively associated with substance use behaviors (βs = -0.61 to -0.43, ps < 0.001). Conclusion Substance use is common in COVID-19 long haulers and psychiatric symptoms are the risk factors. Personal mastery and social support appear to offer protection offsetting the psychiatric influences. Substance use prevention and mental health services for COVID-19 long haulers should attend to personal mastery and social support.

Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an online mindful walking intervention among COVID-19 long haulers: A mixed method study including daily diary surveys

“…Our results highly complement the previous MW intervention studies, where older adults (Yang & Conroy, 2018), breast cancer patients (Schröder et al, 2022), and community residents (Jones et al, 2021) have reported high acceptability to the MW intervention. Despite promising results, the various engagement across sessions suggest a need for personalized motivational strategies and addressing potential physical limitations to enhance future program engagement (Aggarwal et al, 2023).…”

“…Liu et al, 2010). Assessing the cost-effectiveness of these interventions in such settings, where healthcare resources are often limited, will be vital (Aggarwal et al, 2023;Mudiyanselage et al, 2023).…”

“…Additionally, long haulers also confront socio-economic setbacks, including social isolation, job loss, and reduced earnings (Aghaei, Zhang, et al, 2022; Okoloba et al, 2020; Otache, 2020). Notably, existing data have shown that many long haulers turn to substance misuse for managing their cognitive and psychiatric problems (Tam et al, 2023), increasing the risk for additional health issues, such as drug overdose. Given these multifaceted challenges, a psycho-behavioral health promotion intervention addressing the quality of life in long haulers becomes warranted.…”

Psychiatric Symptoms, Treatment Uptake, and Barriers to Mental Health Care Among US Adults With Post–COVID-19 Condition

“…9 Psychiatric symptoms frequently reported by these individuals have included depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and posttraumatic stress. [10][11][12] Although it is widely recognized that these psychiatric symptoms are common in PCC, establishing reliable estimates of their prevalence has been difficult. Numerous studies have reported high rates of patient-reported psychiatric symptoms in PCC.…”

“…Among the hundreds of symptoms described by people with PCC, psychiatric symptoms are prominent . Psychiatric symptoms frequently reported by these individuals have included depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and posttraumatic stress …”