ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: People with substance or alcohol use disorders (SUDs/AUDs) are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection than the general population, but the evidence of COVID-19-related mortality in these patients is unclear. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to verify whether patients with AUD and SUD have a higher mortality rate for COVID-19-related mortality compared to the general population. METHOD: We performed a follow-up study to assess mortality in 2020 in a cohort of patients diagnosed for the first time with AUDs or SUDs at the Public Health Services in the metropolitan area of Bologna (Northern Italy) from 2009 to 2019. RESULTS: SUDs/AUDs patients present an excess mortality with respect to the general population for all causes of death and for COVID-19-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the need for prevention strategies in SUDs/AUDs patients such as vaccinations.
ABSTRACT
Suicide is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Among the known risk factors, alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are particularly relevant, but data on the epidemiology and characteristics of suicide attempts (SA) in this group are lacking. We used electronic health records of national health services to identify individuals who received a diagnosis of AUD in the Metropolitan area of Bologna from 2009 to 2019. In this cohort we identified accesses to Emergency Departments for SA from 2009 to 2020. The Crude Suicide Rate (CSR) for 1,000 Person Years was 2.93, higher than the general population. The CSR was higher in females, within one year from receiving the diagnosis of AUD, in patients with psychiatric comorbidities, concomitant abuse of cannabis or benzodiazepines. As for Covid-19 pandemic, the risk ratio of SA was significantly higher in 2020 compared to 2019 in females. Our results are relevant to identify clinical risk factors for SA in patients with AUDs, which are strongly associated with suicide risk but with scarce data in the previous literature and paucity of evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There are few studies on mortality on individuals entering treatment for cannabis use disorders. OBJECTIVES: To estimate mortality risk for individuals treated for cannabis use disorders comparing patients with concomitant alcohol use disorders to those with only cannabis use disorders. METHODS: Follow-up study on 1136 residents in Northern Italy who turned to health services following problems caused by cannabis use disorders between 2009 and 2019. Individuals with concomitant use of opioids, amphetamines, cocaine, or injecting drugs were excluded. Crude mortality rates per 1000 Person Years (CMR), and standardized mortality ratios adjusted for age, sex and calendar year (SMR) were calculated. RESULTS: Elevated CMRs (CMR 4.4, 3-6.4), higher among patients with concomitant alcohol use disorders (CMR 10.2, 6.6-15.6) compared to those with only cannabis use disorders (CMR 1.8, 0.9-3.6) were found. Regarding excess mortality with respect to the general population, SMRs were higher and statistically significant (SMR 5.4, 3.7-7.8), both among patients with concomitant alcohol use disorders (SMR 10.2, 6.6-15.6) and among those with only cannabis use disorders (SMR 2.3, 1.1-4.5). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that individuals with only cannabis use disorders have a lower mortality risk compared to those with both cannabis and alcohol use disorders.
Subject(s)
Alcoholism , Cannabis , Substance-Related Disorders , Alcoholism/epidemiology , Analgesics, Opioid , Cause of Death , Follow-Up Studies , HumansABSTRACT
Suicide is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Among the known risk factors, substance use disorders are particularly relevant, but there are still few data on the epidemiology of suicide attempts in this group during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used electronic health records of the National Health Services to identify individuals who received a diagnosis of substance use disorder in the metropolitan area of Bologna from 2009 to 2019. Within this cohort, we identified those who accessed emergency departments for suicide attempt from 2009 to 2020. The crude suicide rate for 1000 person years was 2.54, higher than in the general population. The risk was higher within 1 year from the first visit in patients with any psychiatric diagnosis, mainly depression, neurotic and somatoform syndromes and personality and behavioural disorders. The risk was higher, but not significantly, in the year 2020 compared to the previous year. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
People with Substance or Alcohol Use Disorders (SUDs/AUDs) are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection than the general population. We performed a cross-sectional study to compare the hospitalization rate (CHR) for COVID-19 in 2020 in patients diagnosed with SUDs or AUDs in the previous 10 years vs the population without these disorders (NAS). We included individuals who were resident in the Metropolitan Area of Bologna (Northern Italy). People with SUDs or AUDs have a greater probability of being hospitalized for COVID-19 infection compared to the general population NAS, suggesting that they suffer from worse physical symptoms/conditions than the general population. Furthermore, we found higher mortality rates during hospitalization for COVID-19 in patients with AUDs or SUDs than the general population NAS. These findings highlight the importance of a careful monitoring and early intervention measures in these patients.