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Reilly ED, Chamberlin ES, Duarte BA, Harris JI, Shirk SD, Kelly MM. The Impact of COVID-19 on Self-Reported Substance Use, Well-Being, and Functioning Among United States Veterans: A Cross-Sectional Study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:812247. [PMID: 35478735 PMCID: PMC9035845 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.812247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, many veterans with substance use issues have faced the closure of treatment facilities, mandates to shelter in place, and social distancing measures. To better understand their pandemic experiences, substance use changes, and functioning, a survey was nationally administered to a sample of United States veterans reporting substance use issues during the pandemic. The purpose of this cross-sectional online survey for veterans (N = 409) was to report on COVID-19 experiences, safety behaviors, and infection experiences while also investigating the relationship among addictive behaviors, mental and physical health, and COVID-19 impact. Measures also assessed specific substance use concerns, pandemic-related loneliness, and functioning. Though few veterans reported personally receiving a confirmed COVID-19 medical diagnosis (10.5%), the impact of pandemic stressors was evident, with a majority reporting anxiety related to contracting COVID-19 (61.4%) or fear of a family member or close friend contracting COVID-19 (58.7%). Participants reported increased use of alcohol (45.3%), sedatives (36.6%), inhalants (35.7%), tobacco (35.0%), and cannabis (34.9%), attributed specifically to the pandemic. Regression analyses revealed that even when controlling for the contribution of problematic substance use issues, negative pandemic impacts and self-reported COVID-19 related loneliness were related to more impaired physical and mental health functioning during the pandemic. Findings from this sample of veterans with addiction issues add to the growing literature suggesting unique and adverse effects of COVID-19 stressors on functioning while also revealing specific pandemic impacts for this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin D. Reilly
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
- The Department of Psychiatry and Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Erin D. Reilly,
| | - Elizabeth S. Chamberlin
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
| | | | - J. Irene Harris
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Steven D. Shirk
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
- The Department of Psychiatry and Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Megan M. Kelly
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
- The Department of Psychiatry and Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
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Taing M, Nitturi V, Chen TA, Kyburz B, Martinez Leal I, Correa-Fernández V, Obasi EM, Williams T, Casey K, O’Connor DP, Koshy L, Britton M, Drenner K, Reitzel LR. Implementation and Outcomes of a Comprehensive Tobacco Free Workplace Program in Opioid Treatment Centers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:239. [PMID: 35010499 PMCID: PMC8744608 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Tobacco use is exceedingly high among individuals receiving care for opioid addiction, but not commonly addressed by clinicians in treatment settings. Taking Texas Tobacco Free (TTTF) is a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace (TFW) program that builds treatment centers' capacity to address tobacco use with evidence-based tobacco cessation policies and practices. Here, we examine the process and outcomes of TTTF's implementation within 7 opioid addiction centers. Program goals were structured according to the RE-AIM framework. Pre- and post-implementation data were collected from client facing and non-client facing employees to assess changes in education, training receipt, knowledge, and intervention behaviors, relative to program goals. Centers reported tobacco screenings conducted and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) delivered through 6 months post-implementation. Overall, 64.56% of employees participated in TTTF-delivered tobacco education, with a 54.9% gain in tobacco control and treatment knowledge (p < 0.0001), and significant increases in exposure to education about tobacco use and harms among individuals with opioid use disorder (p = 0.0401). There were significant gains in clinicians' receipt of training in 9/9 tobacco education areas (ps ≤ 0.0118). From pre- to post-implementation, there were mean increases in the use of the 5A's (ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange) and other evidence-based interventions for tobacco cessation, with statistically significant gains seen in NRT provision/referral (p < 0.0001). Several program goals were achieved or exceeded; however, 100% center participation in specialized clinical trainings was among notable exceptions. One program withdrew due to competing pandemic concerns; all others implemented comprehensive TFW policies. Overall, TTTF may have improved participating opioid treatment centers' capacity to address tobacco use, although study limitations, including lower post-implementation evaluation response rates, suggest that results require replication in other opioid addiction treatment settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Taing
- Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, The University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd Stephen Power Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (M.T.); (V.N.); (T.A.C.); (I.M.L.); (V.C.-F.); (E.M.O.); (M.B.); (K.D.)
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
| | - Vijay Nitturi
- Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, The University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd Stephen Power Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (M.T.); (V.N.); (T.A.C.); (I.M.L.); (V.C.-F.); (E.M.O.); (M.B.); (K.D.)
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
| | - Tzuan A. Chen
- Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, The University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd Stephen Power Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (M.T.); (V.N.); (T.A.C.); (I.M.L.); (V.C.-F.); (E.M.O.); (M.B.); (K.D.)
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
| | - Bryce Kyburz
- Integral Care, 1430 Collier Street, Austin, TX 78704, USA; (B.K.); (T.W.); (K.C.)
| | - Isabel Martinez Leal
- Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, The University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd Stephen Power Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (M.T.); (V.N.); (T.A.C.); (I.M.L.); (V.C.-F.); (E.M.O.); (M.B.); (K.D.)
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
| | - Virmarie Correa-Fernández
- Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, The University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd Stephen Power Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (M.T.); (V.N.); (T.A.C.); (I.M.L.); (V.C.-F.); (E.M.O.); (M.B.); (K.D.)
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
| | - Ezemenari M. Obasi
- Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, The University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd Stephen Power Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (M.T.); (V.N.); (T.A.C.); (I.M.L.); (V.C.-F.); (E.M.O.); (M.B.); (K.D.)
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
| | - Teresa Williams
- Integral Care, 1430 Collier Street, Austin, TX 78704, USA; (B.K.); (T.W.); (K.C.)
| | - Kathleen Casey
- Integral Care, 1430 Collier Street, Austin, TX 78704, USA; (B.K.); (T.W.); (K.C.)
| | - Daniel P. O’Connor
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
- Department of Health & Human Performance, The University of Houston, 3875 Holman Street, Garrison Gymnasium, Room 104, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Litty Koshy
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
| | - Maggie Britton
- Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, The University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd Stephen Power Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (M.T.); (V.N.); (T.A.C.); (I.M.L.); (V.C.-F.); (E.M.O.); (M.B.); (K.D.)
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
| | - Kelli Drenner
- Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, The University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd Stephen Power Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (M.T.); (V.N.); (T.A.C.); (I.M.L.); (V.C.-F.); (E.M.O.); (M.B.); (K.D.)
| | - Lorraine R. Reitzel
- Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences, The University of Houston, 3657 Cullen Blvd Stephen Power Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA; (M.T.); (V.N.); (T.A.C.); (I.M.L.); (V.C.-F.); (E.M.O.); (M.B.); (K.D.)
- Health Research Institute, The University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd., Houston, TX 77204, USA; (D.P.O.); (L.K.)
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Abstract
While prevalence of tobacco use in the US general population is declining, prevalence among those with opioid use disorder (OUD) remains high and results in excessive tobacco-related disease and premature mortality. Among smokers with OUD, tobacco cessation rates are negligible without treatment. However, both low-intensity behavioral interventions and more intensive motivational interventions yield negligible cessation rates. While contingency management has potent short-term cessation effects, effects are not maintained at post-intervention follow-up. Evidence-based smoking cessation pharmacotherapies, such as nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, and varenicline, result in very modest cessation rates among smokers with OUD. Intensification of pharmacotherapy, such as high-dose and combination nicotine replacement therapy or extended medication treatment, has failed to improve cessation outcomes compared with standard treatment regimens. Targeting the unique challenges faced by smokers with OUD, including nicotine-opioid interactions and poor medication adherence, has potential to improve cessation outcomes, but further research is needed to optimize intervention efficacy among smokers with OUD.
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