COVID-19 and Substance Use

Below is a sample of the many resources you’ll find in the NASW Research Library on COVID-19 and substance use.

NASW members have unlimited access to more than 25 international databases with thousands of documents from leading research institutions, think tanks and advocacy groups.

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Example Resources


Psychological Impact of the Acute COVID-19 Period on Patients With Substance Use Disorders: We Are All in This Together

Authors: Cor A. J. DeJong, Janine G. DeJong Verhagen, Robert Pols, Cor Verbrugge, Alexander Baldacchino
Source: Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Vol 11, Iss 2, Pp 207-216 (2020)
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) results from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For patients referring to the addiction care systems, this pandemic can create additional vulnerabilities. A great deal of effort has made to re-organize the care systems for patients with addiction. This study focuses on the voice of our patients, on clues to adapt treatment, and on the impact of the pandemic on the therapeutic alliance.

COVID-19 and Substance Use Disorders: Recommendations to a Comprehensive Healthcare Response. An International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) Practice and Policy Interest Group Position Paper

Authors: Ali Farhoudian, Alexander Baldacchino, Nicolas Clark, Gilberto Gerra, Hamed Ekhtiari, Geert Dom, Azarakhsh Mokri, Mandana Sadeghi, Pardis Nematollahi, Maryanne Demasi, Christian G. Schütz, Seyed Mohammadreza Hashemian, Payam Tabarsi, Susanna Galea-singer, Giuseppe Carrà, Thomas Clausen, Christos Kouimtsidis, Serenella Tolomeo, Seyed Ramin Radfar, Emran Mohammad Razaghi
Source: Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Vol 11, Iss 2, Pp 133-146 (2020)
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is escalating all over the world and has higher morbidities and mortalities in certain vulnerable populations. People who use drugs are a marginalized and stigmatized group with weaker immunity responses, vulnerability to stress, poor health conditions, high-risk behaviors, and lower access to health care services. These conditions put them at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection and its complications. In this paper, an international group of experts on addiction medicine, infectious diseases, and disaster psychiatry explore the possible raised concerns in this issue and provide recommendations to manage the comorbidity of COVID-19 and substance use disorder.

Telemedicine for Chronic Pain Management During COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors: Ghai, B.; Malhotra, N.; Bajwa, S.
Source: Indian Journal of Anaesthesia. June 2020, Vol. 64, Issue 6, p456.
Treatment of chronic pain is an essential service. Due to lockdown, travel restrictions, social and physical distancing requirements or fear that health care facilities may be infected; patients may avoid visiting health care facilities in person. It is also imperative to decrease the risk of exposure of the health care workers to severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS CoV2) and to ease the overtly burdened health care system. But any disruption in pain practice will have alarming consequences for individuals, society, and whole of health care system and providers.

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