Drug use trajectories among U.S. adults during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Perceived Risks and Therapeutic Benefits of Cannabis Among College Students Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

More than half of the United States has legalized medicinal and/or recreational cannabis. The purpose of the study is to understand cannabis use and perceptions among college students with cannabis experience - 21 years and older - in a legalized cannabis state. Participants included 170 college students, the majority identified as female (72.9%, n = 124) and Latinx/Hispanic (55.9%, n = 95). The online survey included demographic questions and questionnaires measuring cannabis consumption, cannabis use disorder, and quality of life. Participants answered open-ended questions about the negative, positive, and spiritual impact/s of cannabis on their life and health, and how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their cannabis use. A paired-sample t-test indicated participants significantly found more relief using cannabis compared to non-cannabis treatments or medications. There was no significant correlation between quality of life and cannabis use disorder symptoms. Inductive content analysis of 112 written responses revealed perceived negative effects (e.g., anxiety/mental health issues) and positive effects (e.g., relaxation/stress reduction) from using cannabis. Most participants reported no spiritual benefits; however, some participants discussed cannabis use improving connection to self and self-awareness. Regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on use, most participants (27.8%) reported increased cannabis use, while some reported decreased cannabis use. These findings reflect the importance of understanding the wide-range of benefits and risks perceived by college students who consume cannabis and how these results can inform the development of university prevention and wellness strategies within states that have legalized recreational and medical cannabis.

The Effect of Shared Decision-Making by Mental Health Nurses on Medication Adherence in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders: Provider-Patient Communication Pathway Model

The involvement of patients with mental health issues in their own treatment decision-making has often been overlooked. This study aimed to investigate the impact of shared decision-making between mental health nurses and patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD) on medication adherence. The provider-patient communication pathway model was utilized to examine the ways in which therapeutic communication strategies employed by mental health nurses positively influence medication adherence. The study employed a percentile bootstrap method and pairwise comparison tests in structural equation modeling. The results revealed that shared decision-making between AUD patients and mental health nurses directly enhanced medication adherence, as well as indirectly influenced adherence through the mediating factors of therapeutic alliance and alcohol abstinence self-efficacy. These findings hold both theoretical and practical implications for involving patients with AUD in therapeutic decision-making within psychiatric and mental health nursing settings, as well as for improving medication adherence among this patient population.

Increased alcohol use to cope with COVID-19-related anxiety one year into the coronavirus pandemic

Background: An increase in drinking to cope with anxiety provoked by the coronavirus was observed during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: In the present study, we examined the role of drinking motives in the anxiety–alcohol link one year into the pandemic. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we collected data between April and May 2021: 678 participants located in Romania or the Netherlands completed an online survey on alcohol consumption in the past month (assessed using a simple quantity-frequency measure), change in drinking during the past year (assessed using a single item asking whether there had been an increase, decrease or no change), drinking motives (assessed using the Revised Drinking Motives Questionnaire), drinking-related problems (assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test), and COVID-19-related anxiety (assessed using the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale). Results: Compared to before the pandemic, while 42% of participants had decreased their alcohol consumption, 15% reported an increase. Participants with clinically relevant COVID-19-related anxiety (11%) were more likely to drink to cope with negative affect, enhance positive affect, and conform to others. The association between COVID-19-related anxiety and drinking-related problems was specifically moderated by drinking to cope, such that the anxiety–alcohol link was stronger in participants who endorsed this drinking motive more. Conclusion: Drinking is a maladaptive coping strategy for individuals with high levels of COVID-19-related anxiety. These individuals might benefit from interventions involving the learning of healthier skills to deal with the ongoing pandemic.

Alcohol use disorder and liver injury related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Alcohol use disorder is a complex and heterogeneous phenomenon that can be studied from several points of view by focusing on its different components. Alcohol is a hepatotoxin whose metabolism creates profound alterations within the hepatocyte. The liver is the central organ in the metabolism of alcohol, a process that also involves other organs and tissues such as the brain, heart and muscles, but the most relevant organ is the liver. The anatomopathological alterations in the liver associated with the prolonged use of alcohol range from the simple accumulation of neutral fats in the hepatocytes, to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Alcohol abuse frequently leads to liver disease such as steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and tumors. Following the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there was an increase in alcohol consumption, probably linked to the months of lockdown and smart working. It is known that social isolation leads to a considerable increase in stress, and it is also recognized that high levels of stress can result in an increase in alcohol intake. Cirrhotic patients or subjects with liver cancer are immunocompromised, so they may be more exposed to COVID-19 infection with a worse prognosis. This review focuses on the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has made the emergence of alcohol-induced liver damage a major medical and social problem.