Experiences with and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by substance use disorder in the early phase of pandemic in the United States: A cross-sectional survey, 2020

Abstract

Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could disproportionately affect individuals who have a substance use disorder (SUD). However, little information exists on COVID-19-related experiences among individuals with a SUD. We examined whether individuals with a SUD differ from other individuals with regard to COVID-19 testing, susceptibility, and employment-related vulnerability. Methods We used data from a U.S. nationally representative survey (n = 1,208). Using logistic regressions, we examined whether individuals with SUDs differ from other individuals regarding underlying health conditions, COVID-19 testing, access to paid sick leave, and loss of employment. Data were collected in late May-early June, 2020. Results Four percent of participants reported that a healthcare professional had told them they had a SUD. We found that, compared to those without SUDs, respondents with SUDs had higher odds of having lost their job due to the pandemic (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]:5.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]:2.28–11.74). Among individuals who were employed prior to the pandemic, people with SUDs had lower odds of having paid sick leave (AOR:0.26, 95% CI:0.09–0.74). Conclusion Our study indicates that individuals with SUDs could be disproportionately affected by COVID-19 economically, which might worsen SUD and racial/ethnic health disparities. Introduction There is growing concern about the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the health of individuals who have a substance use disorder (SUD) [1]. Individuals with a SUD might also be disproportionately affected by the rise in pandemic-related unemployment [2] since some industries that were highly impacted by the shutdowns, such as food service, are more common among those who report illicit substance use [3]. Despite these concerns, very little data exist on COVID-19 testing and pandemic-related challenges among individuals with a SUD [4, 5]. In the current study, we surveyed a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States (U.S.) in the early stages of the pandemic to explore differences between individuals with and without a SUD with regard to: underlying health conditions that exacerbate COVID-19 morbidity, COVID-19 testing, available paid sick leave, and loss of employment.