Drug Use Disorder and Coping Mechanisms Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Measures: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic presented numerous obstacles to people of different health status and capabilities. There is scarcity of information on the coping mechanisms for people with substance use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic in Arab nations. This study aimed to identify behavioural mechanisms and factors associated with how the COVID-19 pandemic measures imposed among people with substance use disorders in Oman. METHODS: Survey data on demographic and behavioural factors from 61 respondents out of the target sample of 73 persons with substance use disorder receiving treatment at a specialised hospital. Changes in behaviour related to substance use due to the COVID-19 pandemic measures were investigated using demographic and modifiable factors. For the specific study evaluation, the variables studied included; age, family size, marital status, employment status, suicidal thoughts, and ways of substance abuse, family responsibilities, hospitalisation tendency, and change of behaviour. FINDINGS: On average, the participants were 16-48 years old (mean age 31.5 years, SD=6.82). The study findings show that the consumption of morphine as the main drug compared to others (OR = 0.03, _p_=0.003) resulted in a reduction in the odds of feeling increased effects of COVID-19 measures among individuals with substance use disorder. Furthermore, the increase in effects was significant among the participants who opted to be hospitalised to reduce drug use (OR=9.97, _p_=0.017) and those who took overdoses (OR=8.17, _p_=0.008). CONCLUSION: The study findings indicate that due to the measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic measures, individuals with drug use disorders switched to different types of drugs, such as morphine, to reduce the effects of the measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, people with drug use disorders who took overdoses and those hospitalised were more associated with increased effects of COVID-19 measures. The implication of the study findings is that outreach and community-based services should be made more accessible for people with drug use disorders, since this could relieve effects due to a pandemic.