Increases in cannabis use and negative emotions during covid-19 pandemic among college students with cannabis use disorder

ABSTRACT Using cross-sectional baseline measurements from a longitudinal cohort study, we evaluated the perceived impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cannabis use and emotional well-being among college students meeting cannabis use disorder (CUD) criteria (N = 150). Compared to before the pandemic, participants retrospectively reported an increase in cannabis use during the first phase of the pandemic when stay-at-home orders occurred, which was correlated with a greater number of CUD symptoms and cannabis use-related consequences since the pandemic began. Reporting greater frequency of cannabis use during the pandemic was associated with greater frequency of using amphetamine-type drugs and consumption of cannabis by dabbing since the pandemic began. There were significant differences in cannabis use-related outcomes as a function of negative emotions (e.g., feeling lonely/stressed/anxious/depressed) experienced during the pandemic. The findings elucidate the impact of the pandemic on cannabis use among college students with CUD and can inform prevention/intervention efforts in this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Increases in cannabis use and negative emotions during COVID-19 pandemic among college students with cannabis use disorder

Using cross-sectional baseline measurements from a longitudinal cohort study, we evaluated the perceived impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cannabis use and emotional well-being among college students meeting cannabis use disorder (CUD) criteria (N = 150). Compared to before the pandemic, participants retrospectively reported an increase in cannabis use during the first phase of the pandemic when stay-at-home orders occurred, which was correlated with a greater number of CUD symptoms and cannabis use-related consequences since the pandemic began. Reporting greater frequency of cannabis use during the pandemic was associated with greater frequency of using amphetamine-type drugs and consumption of cannabis by dabbing since the pandemic began. There were significant differences in cannabis use-related outcomes as a function of negative emotions (e.g., feeling lonely/stressed/anxious/depressed) experienced during the pandemic. The findings elucidate the impact of the pandemic on cannabis use among college students with CUD and can inform prevention/intervention efforts in this population. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread closure of HIV prevention and care services places youth at higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Central to measuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV is understanding the role of loss of access to essential HIV prevention and care services created by clinic and community-based organization closures. In this paper, we use a comprehensive list of HIV prevention services in four corridors of the US heavily impacted by HIV, developed as part of a large RCT, to illustrate the potential impact of service closure on LGBTQ+ youth. METHODS: We identified and mapped LGBTQ+ friendly services offering at least one of the following HIV-related services: HIV testing; STI testing; PrEP/PEP; HIV treatment and care; and other HIV-related services in 109 counties across four major interstate corridors heavily affected by HIV US Census regions: Pacific (San Francisco, CA to San Diego, CA); South-Atlantic (Washington, DC to Atlanta, GA); East-North-Central (Chicago, IL to Detroit, MI); and East-South-Central (Memphis, TN to New Orleans, LA). RESULTS: There were a total of 831 LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV service providers across the 109 counties. There was a range of LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV-service provider availability across counties (range: 0-14.33 per 10,000 youth aged 13-24 (IQR: 2.13), median: 1.09); 9 (8.26%) analyzed counties did not have any LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV service providers. The Pearson correlation coefficient for the correlation between county HIV prevalence and LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV service provider density was 0.16 (p = 0.09), suggesting only a small, non-statistically significant linear relationship between a county's available LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV service providers and their HIV burden. CONCLUSIONS: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we must find novel, affordable ways to continue to provide sexual health, mental health and other support services to LGBTQ+ youth.

Association between COVID-19-related loneliness or worry and symptoms of anxiety and depression among first-year college students.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between COVID-19-related distress and mental health among first-year college students. PARTICIPANTS: Data for this longitudinal study (n = 727) were collected before the school year (August 2019), end of fall semester (December 2019), and soon after the university suspended in-person instruction (April 2020). METHODS: We used multivariable log-linear and logistic regressions to examine continuous and dichotomous outcomes on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale. RESULTS: The most consistent predictor of during-pandemic mental health was feeling extremely isolated (versus not at all), which was associated with increased symptom severity of depression (proportional change[95% CI] = 2.43[1.87, 3.15]) and anxiety (2.02[1.50, 2.73]) and greater odds of new moderate depression (OR[95% CI] = 14.83[3.00, 73.41]) and anxiety (24.74[2.91, 210.00]). Greater COVID-19-related concern was also related to increased mental health symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the need for mental health services during crises that lead to social isolation.

Perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on cannabis-using emerging adults.

Cannabis-using youth are a large epidemiologic subgroup whose age and smoking-related risks underscore the importance of examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in this population. Within a clinical trial (n = 36 received an intervention prior to data collection reported herein), we surveyed cannabis-using emerging adults (ages 18-25) about perceived COVID-19 impacts. Participants (n = 141) reporting weekly cannabis use (M = 18.6 use days in the past 30) were enrolled and completed online surveys as part of either their baseline or 3 month assessment. COVID-19-related measures included symptoms, substance use, mood, etc. Participants were 57% female (mean age = 21, standard deviation = 2.2), with 21% Hispanic/Latinx, 70% White, 20% Black/African American, and 10% of other races. Most participants (86%) reported quarantine/self-isolation (M = 59 days). Several had COVID-19 symptoms (16%), but none reported testing COVID-19 positive. Many respondents felt their cannabis use (35%-50%, across consumption methods) and negative emotions (e.g., loneliness, stress, and depression; 69.5%, 69.5%, and 61.8%, respectively) increased. They reported decreased in-person socialization (90.8%) and job losses (23.4%). Reports of increased cannabis smoking were associated with increased negative emotions. On an open-response item, employment/finances and social isolation were frequently named negative impacts (33.3% and 29.4%, respectively). Although cannabis-using emerging adults' reports of increases in cannabis use, coupled with mental health symptoms and social isolation, are concerning, the full impact of the pandemic on their health and well-being remains unknown. Future studies examining the relationship between social isolation, mental health, and cannabis use among young people are needed.

Binge drinking before and after a COVID-19 campus closure among first-year college students.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with reports of increased substance use. College students are a population of concern for high risk binge drinking and their behavior may be particularly impacted by COVID-19 campus closures. Therefore, we examine first-year college students' binge drinking soon after their university's pandemic-related suspension of in-person operations. METHODS: Students from a single campus (N = 741; age: M = 18.05, SD = 0.22) completed one assessment in April-May 2020 post-campus closure (March 2020) including theoretically-informed measures (e.g., drinking motives, norms) and two items of self-reported pre- and post-closure binge drinking frequency, the focus of these analyses. RESULTS: About half of students consistently reported not binge drinking pre- and post-closure; 6.75% reported a consistent frequency of binge drinking pre- and post-closure. Many (39.41%) reported lower 30-day binge drinking post-campus closure compared to their pre-closure reports; few (4.18%) reported higher 30-day binge drinking frequency post-campus closure. Students reporting lower binge drinking post-closure showed differences in coping, social, and enhancement drinking motives and isolation. Students reporting greater post-closure binge drinking reported higher perceived drinking norms and were more likely to be in Greek life. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates self-reported patterns in binge drinking among first-year college students at the point of COVID-19 campus closures. Pandemic-related college closures may have been a temporary environmental intervention on this high-risk behavior for some students. Although many students were not binge drinking, some continued binge drinking after closure and may benefit from preventive interventions.

Considerations for remote delivery of behavioral economic interventions for substance use disorder during COVID-19 and beyond.

The response to the COVID-19 crisis has created direct pressure on health care providers to deliver virtual care, and has created the opportunity to develop innovations in remote treatment for people with substance use disorders. Remote treatments provide an intervention delivery framework that capitalizes on technological innovations in remote monitoring of behaviors and can efficiently use information collected from people and their environment to provide personalized treatments as needed. Interventions informed by behavioral economic theories can help to harness the largely untapped potential of virtual care in substance use treatment. Behavioral economic treatments, such as contingency management, the substance-free activity session, and episodic future thinking, are positioned to leverage remote monitoring of substance use and to use personalized medicine frameworks to deliver remote interventions in the COVID-19 era and beyond.