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1. The grief experience during the COVID-19 pandemic across different cultures

Author

Frances Adiukwu, Leila Kamalzadeh, Mariana Pinto da Costa, Ramdas Ransing, Renato de Filippis, Victor Pereira-Sanchez, Amine Larnaout, Jairo M. Gonzalez-Diaz, Mario Eid, Zulvia Syarif, Laura Orsolini, Rodrigo Ramalho, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, and Mohammadreza Shalbafan

Subjects
Grief, COVID-19, Culture, Psychiatry, RC435-571
Abstract

Abstract Grief is the physical or mental suffering experienced after a major loss, usually the death of a loved one. It is a universal experience, but sociocultural factors, such as cultural or ethnic identity and religious beliefs predict and shape the expression of grief. The circumstances under which people are experiencing grief during the coronavirus outbreak have adversely affected the grieving process. Unexpected deaths, social distancing rules and visitor restrictions in healthcare facilities have posed a heavier burden on the loss and have heightened the risk of grievers experiencing complicated or persistent grief. This concern led us, as early career psychiatrists (ECPs) from 14 different countries connected by the Early Career Psychiatrists Section of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), to share our country-specific experiences on the mourning, grief tradition, and burial rites during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we discuss our experiences, similarities and differences with relation to the: ‘Effect of the pandemic on mourning’, ‘Restrictions and Guideline on burial rites due to the pandemic’, ‘Effect of the pandemic on social support’ and ‘Role of media and telecommunication on mourning practices and burial rites’. We conclude that while telecommunication means have attempted to bridge the gap and provide some form of social connectedness, the total and global effect of the pandemic is yet to be fully seen and understood.

Published
2022
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2. Is everyone invited to the discussion table? A bibliometric analysis COVID-19-related mental health literature

Author

Nadir Yalcin, Izgi Bayraktar, Erdem Karabulut, Renato de Filippis, Florence Jaguga, Ruta Karaliuniene, Sachin Nagendrappa, Camille Noël, Margaret Isioma Ojeahere, Dorottya Ori, Ramdas Ransing, Fahimeh Saeed, Mohammadreza Shalbafan, Sheikh Shoib, Irfan Ullah, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Bita Vahdani, and Rodrigo Ramalho

Subjects
Bibliometrics, global health, mental health, publishing, PubMed, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571
Abstract

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has captured the mental health discussion worldwide. Examining countries' representation in this discussion could prove instrumental in identifying potential gaps in terms of ensuring a truly global conversation in times of global crisis. Methods We collected mental health and COVID-19-related journal articles published in PubMed in 2020. We focused on the corresponding authors' countries of affiliation to explore countries' representation. We also examined these articles' academic impact and correlations with their corresponding authors' countries of affiliation. Additional journals and countries' indicators were collected from the Web of Science and World Bank websites, respectively. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics and the VOSviewer software. Results In total, 3492 publications were analyzed. Based on the corresponding author, high-income countries produced 61.9% of these publications. Corresponding authors from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East combined accounted for 11.8% of the publications. Europe hosted corresponding authors with the most publications and citations, and corresponding authors from North America had the largest mean journal impact factor. Conclusions The global scientific discussion during the COVID-19 pandemic saw an increased contribution of academics from developing countries. However, authors from high-income countries have continued to shape this discussion. It is imperative to ensure the active participation of low- and middle-income countries in setting up the global mental health research agenda, particularly in situations of global crisis, such as the ongoing pandemic.

Published
2022
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4. A Global Survey on Changes in the Supply, Price, and Use of Illicit Drugs and Alcohol, and Related Complications During the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Ali Farhoudian, Seyed Ramin Radfar, Hossein Mohaddes Ardabili, Parnian Rafei, Mohsen Ebrahimi, Arash Khojasteh Zonoozi, Cornelis A. J. De Jong, Mehrnoosh Vahidi, Masud Yunesian, Christos Kouimtsidis, Shalini Arunogiri, Helena Hansen, Kathleen T. Brady, ISAM Global Survey Consortium (ISAM-GSC), Adrian Octavian Abagiu, Franck David Noel Abouna, Mohamed Hassan Ahmed, Basma Al-ansari, Feda Mahmmoud Abu Al-khair, Mandhar Humaid Almaqbali, Atul Ambekar, Sidharth Arya, Victor Olufolahan Asebikan, Murad Ali Ayasreh, Debasish Basu, Zoubir Benmebarek, Roshan Bhad, Mario Blaise, Nicolas Bonnet, Jennifer Brasch, Barbara Broers, Anja Busse, Jenna L. Butner, Moses Camilleri, Giovanna Campello, Giuseppe Carra, Ivan Celic, Fatemeh Chalabianloo, Abhishek Chaturvedi, José de Jesús Eduardo Noyola Cherpitel, Kelly J. Clark, Melissa Anne Cyders, Ernesto de Bernardis, Abbas Deilamizade, John Edward Derry, Naveen Kumar Dhagudu, Pavla Dolezalova, Geert Dom, Adrian John Dunlop, Mahmoud Mamdouh Elhabiby, Hussein Elkholy, Nsidibe Francis Essien, Ghandi Ilias Farah, Marica Ferri, Georgios D Floros, Catherine Friedman, Clara Hidalgo Fuderanan, Gilberto Gerra, Abhishek Ghosh, Maka Gogia, Ilias A. Grammatikopoulos, Paolo Grandinetti, Amira Guirguis, David Gutnisky, Paul Steven Haber, Peyman Hassani-Abharian, Zahra Hooshyari, Islam Ibrahim Mokhtar Ibrahim, Hada Fong-ha Ieong, Regina Nova Indradewi, Shelly Iskandar, Thahir Noorul Isra, Shobhit Jain, Sandi James, Seyyed Mohammad hossein Javadi, Keun Ho Joe, Darius Jokubonis, Acka Tushevska Jovanova, Rama Mohamed Kamal, Alexander Ivanov Kantchelov, Preethy Kathiresan, Gary Katzman, Paul Kawale, Audrey Margaret Kern, Felix Henrique Paim Kessler, Sung-Gon Sue Kim, Ann Marie Kimball, Zeljko Kljucevic, Kristiana Siste Kurniasanti, Roneet Lev, Hae Kook Lee, Aiste Lengvenyte, Shaul Lev-ran, Geni Seseja Mabelya, Mohamed Ali El Mahi, J. Maphisa Maphisa, Icro Maremmani, Laura Masferrer, Omid Massah, Orlagh McCambridge, Garrett Gregory McGovern, Aung Kyi Min, Amir Moghanibashi-Mansourieh, Jazman Mora-Rios, Indika Udaya Kumara Mudalige, Diptadhi Mukherjee, Pejic Munira Munira, Bronwyn Myers, Jayakrishnan Menon T. N., Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha, Nkemakolam Ndionuka, Ali-Akbar Nejatisafa, Kamran Niaz, Asad Tamizuddin Nizami, Jan H. Nuijens, Laura Orsolini, Vantheara Oum, Adegboyega Adekunle Oyemade, Irena Rojnia Palavra, Sagun Ballav Pant, Joselyn Paredes, Eric Peyron, Randall Alberto Quirós, Rouhollah Qurishi, Noor ul Zaman Rafiq, Ranjini Raghavendra Rao, Woraphat Ratta-apha, Karren-Lee Raymond, Jens Reimer, Eduardo Renaldo, Tara Rezapour, James Roy Robertson, Carlos Roncero, Fazle Roub, Elizabeth Jane Rubenstein, Claudia Ines Rupp, Elizabeth Saenz, Mohammad Salehi, Lampros Samartzis, Laura Beatriz Sarubbo, Nusa Segrec, Bigya Shah, Hongxian Shen, Tomohiro Shirasaka, Steve Shoptaw, Fransiskus Muronga Sintango, Veronica Andrea Sosa, Emilis Subata, Norberto Sztycberg, Fatemeh Taghizadeh, Joseph Brian Tay Wee Teck, Christian Tjagvad, Marta Torrens, Judith Meme Twala, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Joseph Robert Volpicelli, Jelmer Weijs, Steven Michael Wintoniw, Apisak Wittayanookulluk, Marcin Wojnar, Sadia Yasir, Yimenu Yitayih, and Min Zhao

Subjects
COVID-19, addiction, substance use disorder, global survey, behavioral addiction, illicit drug market, Psychiatry, RC435-571
Abstract

Background and Aims: COVID-19 has infected more than 77 million people worldwide and impacted the lives of many more, with a particularly devastating impact on vulnerable populations, including people with substance use disorders (SUDs). Quarantines, travel bans, regulatory changes, social distancing, and “lockdown” measures have affected drug and alcohol supply chains and subsequently their availability, price, and use patterns, with possible downstream effects on presentations of SUDs and demand for treatment. Given the lack of multicentric epidemiologic studies, we conducted a rapid global survey within the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) network in order to understand the status of substance-use patterns during the current pandemic.Design: Cross-sectional survey.Setting: Worldwide.Participants: Starting on April 4, 2020 during a 5-week period, the survey received 185 responses from 77 countries.Measurements: To assess addiction medicine professionals' perceived changes in drug and alcohol supply, price, use pattern, and related complications during the COVID-19 pandemic.Findings: Participants reported (among who answered “decreased” or “increased”) a decrease in drug supply (69.0%) and at the same time an increase in price (95.3%) globally. With respect to changes in use patterns, an increase in alcohol (71.7%), cannabis (63.0%), prescription opioids (70.9%), and sedative/hypnotics (84.6%) use was reported, while the use of amphetamines (59.7%), cocaine (67.5%), and opiates (58.2%) was reported to decrease overall.Conclusions: The global report on changes in the availability, use patterns, and complications of alcohol and drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic should be considered in making new policies and in developing mitigating measures and guidelines during the current pandemic (and probable future ones) in order to minimize risks to people with SUD.

Published
2021
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5. Reorganization of Substance Use Treatment and Harm Reduction Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Survey

Author

Seyed Ramin Radfar, Cornelis A. J. De Jong, Ali Farhoudian, Mohsen Ebrahimi, Parnian Rafei, Mehrnoosh Vahidi, Masud Yunesian, Christos Kouimtsidis, Shalini Arunogiri, Omid Massah, Abbas Deylamizadeh, Kathleen T. Brady, Anja Busse, ISAM-PPIG Global Survey Consortium, Marc N. Potenza, Hamed Ekhtiari, Alexander Mario Baldacchino, Adrian Octavian Abagiu, Franck David Noel Abouna, Mohamed Hassan Ahmed, Basma Al-ansari, Feda Mahmmoud Abu Al-khair, Mandhar Humaid Almaqbali, Atul Ambekar, Hossein Mohaddes Ardabili, Sidharth Arya, Victor Olufolahan Lasebikan, Murad Ali Ayasreh, Debasish Basu, Zoubir Benmebarek, Roshan Bhad, Mario Blaise, Nicolas Bonnet, Jennifer Brasch, Barbara Broers, Jenna L. Butner, Moses Camilleri, Giovanna Campello, Giuseppe Carra, Ivan Celic, Fatemeh Chalabianloo, Abhishek Chaturvedi, José de Jesús Eduardo Noyola Cherpitel, Kelly J. Clark, Melissa Anne Cyders, Ernesto de Bernardis, John Edward Derry, Naveen Kumar Dhagudu, Pavla Dolezalova, Geert Dom, Adrian John Dunlop, Mahmoud Mamdouh Elhabiby, Hussien Elkholy, Nsidibe Francis Essien, Ghandi Ilias Farah, Marica Ferri, Georgios D Floros, Catherine Friedman, Clara Hidalgo Fuderanan, Gilberto Gerra, Abhishek Ghosh, Maka Gogia, Ilias A. Grammatikopoulos, Paolo Grandinetti, Amira Guirguis, David Gutnisky, Paul Steven Haber, Peyman Hassani-Abharian, Zahra Hooshyari, Islam Ibrahim Mokhtar Ibrahim, Hada Fong-ha Ieong, Regina Nova Indradewi, Shelly Iskandar, Shobhit Jain, Sandi James, Seyyed Mohammad hossein Javadi, Keun Ho Joe, Darius Jokubonis, Acka Tushevska Jovanova, Rama Mohamed Kamal, Alexander Ivanov Kantchelov, Preethy Kathiresan, Gary Katzman, Paul Kawale, Audrey Margaret Kern, Felix Henrique Paim Kessler, Sung-Gon Sue Kim, Ann Marie Kimball, Zeljko Kljucevic, Kristiana Siste, Roneet Lev, Hae Kook Lee, Aiste Lengvenyte, Shaul Lev-ran, Geni Seseja Mabelya, Mohamed Ali El Mahi, J. Maphisa Maphisa, Icro Maremmani, Laura Masferrer, Orlagh McCambridge, Garrett Gregory McGovern, Aung Kyi Min, Amir Moghanibashi-Mansourieh, Jazman Mora-Rios, Indika Udaya Kumara Mudalige, Diptadhi Mukherjee, Pejic Munira Munira, Bronwyn Myers, Jayakrishnan Menon T N, Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha, Nkemakolam Ndionuka, Ali-Akbar Nejatisafa, Kamran Niaz, Asad Tamizuddin Nizami, Jan H. Nuijens, Laura Orsolini, Vantheara Oum, Adegboyega Adekunle Oyemade, Irena Rojnia Palavra, Sagun Ballav Pant, Joselyn Paredes, Eric Peyron, Randall Alberto Quirós, Rouhollah Qurishi, Noor ul Zaman Rafiq, Ranjini Raghavendra Rao, Woraphat Ratta-apha, Karren-Lee Raymond, Jens Reimer, Eduardo Renaldo, Tara Rezapour, James Roy Robertson, Carlos Roncero, Fazle Roub, Elizabeth Jane Rubenstein, Claudia Ines Rupp, Elizabeth Saenz, Mohammad Salehi, Lampros Samartzis, Laura Beatriz Sarubbo, Nusa Segrec, Bigya Shah, Hongxian Shen, Tomohiro Shirasaka, Steve Shoptaw, Fransiskus Muronga Sintango, Veronica Andrea Sosa, Emilis Subata, Norberto Sztycberg, Fatemeh Taghizadeh, Joseph Brian Tay Wee Teck, Christian Tjagvad, Marta Torrens, Judith Meme Twala, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Joseph Robert Volpicelli, Jelmer Weijs, Steven Michael Wintoniw, Apisak Wittayanookulluk, Marcin Wojnar, Sadia Yasir, Yimenu Yitayih, Min Zhao, and Arash Khojasteh Zonoozi

Subjects
COVID-19 pandemic, substance use disorder, public health, drug policy, opioid agonist treatment, addiction services, Psychiatry, RC435-571
Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted people with substance use disorders (SUDs) worldwide, and healthcare systems have reorganized their services in response to the pandemic.Methods: One week after the announcement of the COVID-19 as a pandemic, in a global survey, 177 addiction medicine professionals described COVID-19-related health responses in their own 77 countries in terms of SUD treatment and harm reduction services. The health responses were categorized around (1) managerial measures and systems, (2) logistics, (3) service providers, and (4) vulnerable groups.Results: Respondents from over 88% of countries reported that core medical and psychiatric care for SUDs had continued; however, only 56% of countries reported having had any business continuity plan, and 37.5% of countries reported shortages of methadone or buprenorphine supplies. Participants of 41% of countries reported partial discontinuation of harm-reduction services such as needle and syringe programs and condom distribution. Fifty-seven percent of overdose prevention interventions and 81% of outreach services were also negatively impacted.Conclusions: Participants reported that SUD treatment and harm-reduction services had been significantly impacted globally early during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on our findings, we highlight several issues and complications resulting from the pandemic concerning people with SUDs that should be tackled more efficiently during the future waves or similar pandemics. The issues and potential strategies comprise the following: (1) helping policymakers to generate business continuity plans, (2) maintaining the use of evidence-based interventions for people with SUDs, (3) being prepared for adequate medication supplies, (4) integrating harm reduction programs with other treatment modalities, and (5) having specific considerations for vulnerable groups such as immigrants and refugees.

Published
2021
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6. Responding to COVID-19: Emerging Practices in Addiction Medicine in 17 Countries

Author

Florian Scheibein, M. J. Stowe, Sidharth Arya, Nirvana Morgan, Tomohiro Shirasaka, Paolo Grandinetti, Noha Ahmed Saad, Abhishek Ghosh, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Woraphat Ratta-apha, Sagun Ballav Pant, Ramdas Ransing, Rodrigo Ramalho, Angelo Bruschi, Tanay Maiti, Anne Yee HA, Mirjana Delic, Shobhit Jain, Eric Peyron, Kristiana Siste, Joy Onoria, Saïd Boujraf, Lisa Dannatt, Arnt Schellekens, and Tanya Calvey

Subjects
COVID-19, drug policy, addiction medicine, substance use, behaviourial addictions, best practice, Psychiatry, RC435-571
Published
2021
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7. The Impact of Stigma on Treatment Services for People With Substance Use Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic—Perspectives of NECPAM Members

Author

Lisa Dannatt, Ramdas Ransing, Tanya Calvey, Florian Scheibein, Noha Ahmed Saad, Tomohiro Shirasaka, Rodrigo Ramalho, Sagun Pant, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Kristiana Siste, M. J. Stowe, Kamal Narayan Kalita, Saïd Boujraf, Roberta Testa, Sidharth Arya, Nirvana Morgan, and Paolo Grandinetti

Subjects
stigma, COVID-19, substance use disorder, access to treatment, pandemic, mental health, Psychiatry, RC435-571
Published
2021
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8. Mental health in the post-COVID-19 era: challenges and the way forward

Author

Samer El Hayek, Drita Gashi Bytyçi, Victor Pereira-Sanchez, Ramdas Ransing, Andre Luiz Schuh Teixeira, Ganesh Kudva Kundadak, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Sheikh Shoib, Sarah El Halabi, Lamiaà Essam, Ruta Karaliuniene, Sachin Nagendrappa, Rodrigo Ramalho, Chonnakarn Jatchavala, and Frances Nkechi Adiukwu

Subjects
Psychiatry, RC435-571
Published
2021
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10. Associations of lockdown stringency and duration with Google searches for mental health terms during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nine-country study

Author

Pedro A. de la Rosa, Richard G. Cowden, Renato de Filippis, Stefan Jerotic, Mahsa Nahidi, Dorottya Ori, Laura Orsolini, Sachin Nagendrappa, Mariana Pinto da Costa, Ramdas Ransing, Fahimeh Saeed, Sheikh Shoib, Serkan Turan, Irfan Ullah, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, and Rodrigo Ramalho

Subjects
Search Engine, Psychiatry and Mental health, Mental Health, Google trends, SARS-CoV-2, Communicable Disease Control, Lockdown, Humans, COVID-19, Mental health, Pandemics, Internet behavior, Biological Psychiatry
Abstract

We examined the associations of lockdown stringency and duration with Google searches for four mental health concepts (i.e., "Anxiety," "Depression," "Suicide," "Mental Health") in nine countries (i.e., Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Paraguay, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey) during the COVID-19 pandemic.We retrieved national-level data for each country from Google Trends and the Global Panel Database of Pandemic Policies. In our primary analysis, we used data from all countries to estimate a set of multilevel regression models examining associations of overall lockdown stringency and lockdown duration with relative search volumes for each mental health term. We repeated the models after replacing overall lockdown stringency with each of the lockdown stringency components.A negative association was found between overall lockdown stringency and "Depression." Lockdown duration and the most stringent stay-at-home requirements were negatively associated with "Anxiety." Policies that recommended or required the cancelation of public events evidenced negative associations with "Depression," whereas associations between policies that required some or all levels of schooling to close and "Depression" were positive. Policies that recommended or required workplaces to close and those that enforced quarantines on non-citizens arriving from high-risk regions or closed borders entirely were negatively associated with "Suicide."Lockdown duration and some lockdown policies during the COVID-19 pandemic were generally associated with significantly lower, rather than higher, Google searches for selected mental health terms. These findings could be used alongside other evidence to develop future lockdown strategies that are sensitive to mental health issues during public health crises.

Published
2022
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12. Scaling Up Global Mental Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

Author

Ramdas Ransing, Ruta Karaliuniene, Camille Noël, Sheikh Shoib, Dorottya Ori, Zargham Abbass, Sachin Nagendrappa, Agaah Ashrafi, Margaret Isioma Ojeahere, Frances Adiukwu, Jibril I M Handuleh, Laura Orsolini, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Bita Vahdani, Mohammad Slaih, Mohammadreza Shalbafan, Florence Jaguga, Lamiaà Essam, Renato de Filippis, Mariana Pinto da Costa, Chonnakarn Jatchavala, Drita Gashi Bytyçi, and Irfan Ullah

Subjects
Mental Health Services, Psychiatry, Economic growth, SARS-CoV-2, Service delivery framework, business.industry, Telepsychiatry, COVID-19, Information technology, Global Health, Mental health, Telemedicine, Psychiatry and Mental health, Global mental health, Health care, Pandemic, Global health, Humans, business, Pandemics
Abstract

Every health care system requires an adequate health care workforce, service delivery, financial support, and information technology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, global health systems were ill prepared to address the rising prevalence of mental health problems, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), thereby increasing treatment gaps. To close these gaps globally, task shifting and telepsychiatry should be made available and maximized, particularly in LMICs. Task shifting to nonspecialist health workers to improve essential mental health coverage and encourage efficient use of the available resources and technology has become the most viable strategy.

Published
2022
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14. Responding to COVID-19: Emerging practices in addiction medicine in 17 countries

Author

Ramyadarshni Vadivel, M. J. Stowe, Shobhit Jain, Rodrigo Ramalho, Noha Ahmed Saad, Paolo Grandinetti, Abhishek Ghosh, Angelo Bruschi, Tanya Calvey, Arnt F. A. Schellekens, Ramdas Ransing, Kristiana Siste, Sidharth Arya, Sagun Ballav Pant, Florian Scheibein, Tomohiro Shirasaka, Woraphat Ratta-apha, Tanay Maiti, Saïd Boujraf, Eric Peyron, Lisa Dannatt, Mirjana Delic, Nirvana Morgan, Anne Yee Ha, and Joy Louise Gumikiriza Onoria

Subjects
Opinion, medicine.medical_specialty, 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), lcsh:RC435-571, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Best practice, best practice, Stress-related disorders Donders Center for Medical Neuroscience [Radboudumc 13], substance use, Experimental Psychopathology and Treatment, lcsh:Psychiatry, medicine, addiction medicine, guidelines, drug policy, Psychiatry, business.industry, COVID-19, Psychiatry and Mental health, Addiction medicine, behaviourial addictions, Mental health care, Substance use, business
Abstract

Contains fulltext : 232789.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) 6 p.

Published
2021

15. Access to Healthcare and Harm Reduction Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic for People Who Use Drugs

Author

Anne Yee, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Nirvana Morgan, Eric Peyron, Lisa Dannatt, Paolo Grandinetti, Mirjana Delic, Tomohiro Shirasaka, Woraphat Ratta-apha, Sagun Ballav Pant, Tanya Calvey, Kristiana Siste, Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha, Abhishek Ghosh, Joy Louise Gumikiriza Onoria, Florian Scheibein, Bigya Shah, Rodrigo Ramalho, Noha Ahmed Saad, Saïd Boujraf, M. J. Stowe, and Sidharth Arya

Subjects
Telemedicine, Substance-Related Disorders, Pneumonia, Viral, MEDLINE, 01 natural sciences, Essential medicines, Health Services Accessibility, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Nursing, Ambulatory care, Harm Reduction, Health care, Pandemic, Ambulatory Care, Opiate Substitution Treatment, Medicine, Humans, Pharmacology (medical), 030212 general & internal medicine, 0101 mathematics, Pandemics, Harm reduction, Infection Control, business.industry, 010102 general mathematics, COVID-19, Opioid-Related Disorders, Needle-Exchange Programs, Psychiatry and Mental health, Addiction medicine, business, Coronavirus Infections, Emergency Service, Hospital
Abstract

Globally, there are concerns about access to healthcare and harm reduction services for people who use drugs (PWUD) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Members from the Network of Early Career Professionals working in Addiction Medicine shared their experiences of providing treatment to PWUD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on these qualitative reports, we highlight the similarities and discrepancies in access to services for PWUD in 16 countries under COVID-10 restrictions. In most countries reported here, efforts have been made to ensure continued access to services, such as mobilising opioid agonist maintenance treatment and other essential medicines to patients. However, due to travel restrictions and limited telemedicine services, several Network of Early Career Professionals working in Addiction Medicine members from lower-resourced countries experienced challenges with providing care to their patients during periods of COVID-19 lock-down. The insights provided in this commentary illustrate how the COVID-19 lock-down restrictions have impacted access to services for PWUD.

Published
2020

16. Reorganization of Substance Use Treatment and Harm Reduction Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Survey

Author

J. Maphisa Maphisa, Susanna Esposito, Omid Massah, Adrian Dunlop, Bronwyn Myers, Hada Fong-ha Ieong, Woraphat Ratta-apha, SEYED RAMIN RADFAR, Parnian Rafei, Cornelis DeJong, Ernesto De Bernardis, Amir Moghanibashi-Mansourieh, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Shalini Arunogiri, Marta Torrens, CHRISTOS KOUIMTSIDIS, Laura Masferrer Boix, Naveen Kumar Dhagudu, AlessanRSS Reis, Mohsen Ebrahimi, and Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha

Subjects
Outreach, Addiction medicine, medicine.medical_specialty, Harm reduction, Business continuity, business.industry, Refugee, Family medicine, Pandemic, Psychological intervention, medicine, Service provider, business
Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people with substance use disorders (SUDs) worldwide and healthcare systems have reorganized their services in response to the pandemic.MethodsOne week after the announcement of the COVID-19 as a pandemic, in a global survey, 177 addiction medicine professionals described COVID-19-related health responses in their own 77 countries in terms of SUD treatment and harm reduction services. The health response is categorized around (1) managerial measures and systems, (2) logistics, (3) service providers and (4) vulnerable groups.ResultsRespondents from over 88% of countries reported that core medical and psychiatric care for SUDs had continued; however, only 56% of countries reported having had any business continuity plan, and, 37.5% of countries reported shortages of methadone or buprenorphine supplies. Participants of 41% of countries reported partial discontinuation of harm-reduction services such as needle and syringe programs and condom distribution. 57% of overdose prevention interventions and 81% of outreach services also having been negatively impacted.ConclusionsParticipants reported that SUD treatment and harm reduction services had been significantly impacted globally early during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on our findings, we provide a series of recommendations to support countries to be prepared more efficiently for future waves or similar pandemics to 1) help policymakers generate business continuity plans, 2) maintain use of evidence-based interventions for people with SUDs, 3) be prepared for adequate medication supplies, 4) integrate harm reduction programs with other treatment modalities and 5) have specific considerations for vulnerable groups such as immigrants and refugees.HighlightsCOVID-19 negatively impacted services for PWSUD globally.Addiction medicine downgraded more than other psychiatry services.Business continuity plan for PWSUD services reported only in about half of the countries.Refugees & migrants had more negative impact compared to other vulnerable groups.Harm reduction services discontinued partially or totally during pandemic.

Published
2020
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17. A global survey on changes in the supply, price and use of illicit drugs and alcohol, and related complications during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Author

J. Maphisa Maphisa, Susanna Esposito, Adrian Dunlop, Bronwyn Myers, Hada Fong-ha Ieong, Arash Khojasteh Zonoozi, Woraphat Ratta-apha, SEYED RAMIN RADFAR, Parnian Rafei, Cornelis DeJong, Ernesto De Bernardis, Amir Moghanibashi-Mansourieh, Ramyadarshni Vadivel, Marta Torrens, Naveen Kumar Dhagudu, Mohsen Ebrahimi, and Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha

Subjects
Drug, biology, business.industry, medicine.drug_class, Supply chain, media_common.quotation_subject, Social distance, biology.organism_classification, Addiction medicine, Sedative, Environmental health, Pandemic, Medicine, Cannabis, Medical prescription, business, media_common
Abstract

Background and aimsCOVID-19 has infected more than 13 million people worldwide and impacted the lives of many more, with a particularly devastating impact on vulnerable populations, including people with substance use disorders (SUDs). Quarantines, travel bans, regulatory changes, social distancing and ‘lockdown’ measures have affected drug and alcohol supply chains and subsequently their availability, price and use patterns, with possible downstream effects on presentations of SUDs and demand for treatment. Given the lack of multicentric epidemiologic studies, we conducted a rapid global survey within the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) network in order to understand the status of substance-use patterns during the current pandemic.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingWorldwide.ParticipantsStarting on April 4th, 2020 during a 5-week period, the survey received 185 responses from 77 countries.MeasurementsTo assess addiction medicine professionals’ perceived changes in drug and alcohol supply, price, use pattern and related complications during the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsParticipants reported (among who answered “decreased” or “increased”, percentage of those who were in majority is reported in the parenthesis) a decrease in drug supply (69.0%), and at the same time an increase in price (95.3%) globally. With respect to changes in use patterns, an increase in alcohol (71.7%), cannabis (63.0%), prescription opioids (70.9%), and sedative/hypnotics (84.6%) use was reported while the use of amphetamines (59.7%), cocaine (67.5%), and opiates (58.2%) was reported to decrease overall.ConclusionsThe global report on changes in the availability, use patterns and complications of alcohol and drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic should be considered in making new policies and in developing mitigating measures and guidelines during the current pandemic (and probable future ones) in order to minimize risks to SUDs.Competing interestAuthors claimed no competing interest

Published
2020
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