TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychopathological Burden and Quality of Life in Substance Users During the COVID-19 Lockdown Period in Italy
AU - Martinotti, Giovanni
AU - Alessi, Maria Chiara
AU - Di Natale, Chiara
AU - Sociali, Antonella
AU - Ceci, Franca
AU - Lucidi, Lorenza
AU - Picutti, Elena
AU - Di Carlo, Francesco
AU - Corbo, Mariangela
AU - Vellante, Federica
AU - Fiori, Federica
AU - Tourjansky, Gaia
AU - Catalano, Gabriella
AU - Carenti, Maria Luisa
AU - Incerti, Chiara Concetta
AU - Bartoletti, Luigi
AU - Barlati, Stefano
AU - Romeo, Vincenzo Maria
AU - Verrastro, Valeria
AU - De Giorgio, Fabio
AU - Valchera, Alessandro
AU - Sepede, Gianna
AU - Casella, Pietro
AU - Pettorruso, Mauro
AU - di Giannantonio, Massimo
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was partly found by the European Project entitled ?Analysis, Knowledge dissemination, Justice implementation and Special Testing of Novel Synthetic Opioids? ? JUST-2017-AG-DRUG.
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2020 Martinotti, Alessi, Di Natale, Sociali, Ceci, Lucidi, Picutti, Di Carlo, Corbo, Vellante, Fiori, Tourjansky, Catalano, Carenti, Incerti, Bartoletti, Barlati, Romeo, Verrastro, De Giorgio, Valchera, Sepede, Casella, Pettorruso and di Giannantonio.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/9/3
Y1 - 2020/9/3
N2 - Background: Following the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, a rigid public health strategy of reduced social contact and shelter-in-place has been adopted by the Italian Government to reduce the spread of the virus. In this paper, we aim at evaluating the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic, and the relative containment measures, have had on a real-life sample of patients suffering from substance use disorders (SUDs) and/or behavioral addictions. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was filled out by 153 addicted patients, both outpatients and residential inpatients, recruited across Italy and highly representative of the current Italian population suffering from addictions. Psychopathological burden (anxiety and depressive symptomatology, somatization, irritability, and post-traumatic symptoms), quality of life, and craving changes in daily habits were assessed. Results: In our sample, we found moderate rates of depression (22.9%), anxiety (30.1%), irritability (31.6%), and post-traumatic stress (5.4%) symptoms. Psychopathological burden was globally higher among residential patients. Reported levels of craving were generally low. Discussion: This study is the first attempt to collect Italian data regarding the effects of the rigid quarantine period, during the COVID-19 pandemic, on patients suffering from a SUD and/or behavioral addictions. The presence of a moderate psychopathological burden correlated to poor quality of life and low craving scores represented the main outcomes. Long-term studies, with follow-up after the end of the restrictive measures, should be considered to implement our findings.
AB - Background: Following the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, a rigid public health strategy of reduced social contact and shelter-in-place has been adopted by the Italian Government to reduce the spread of the virus. In this paper, we aim at evaluating the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic, and the relative containment measures, have had on a real-life sample of patients suffering from substance use disorders (SUDs) and/or behavioral addictions. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was filled out by 153 addicted patients, both outpatients and residential inpatients, recruited across Italy and highly representative of the current Italian population suffering from addictions. Psychopathological burden (anxiety and depressive symptomatology, somatization, irritability, and post-traumatic symptoms), quality of life, and craving changes in daily habits were assessed. Results: In our sample, we found moderate rates of depression (22.9%), anxiety (30.1%), irritability (31.6%), and post-traumatic stress (5.4%) symptoms. Psychopathological burden was globally higher among residential patients. Reported levels of craving were generally low. Discussion: This study is the first attempt to collect Italian data regarding the effects of the rigid quarantine period, during the COVID-19 pandemic, on patients suffering from a SUD and/or behavioral addictions. The presence of a moderate psychopathological burden correlated to poor quality of life and low craving scores represented the main outcomes. Long-term studies, with follow-up after the end of the restrictive measures, should be considered to implement our findings.
KW - addiction
KW - COVID-19
KW - craving
KW - psychopathology
KW - substance use disorder
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U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.572245
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.572245
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85091207518
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry
SN - 1664-0640
M1 - 572245
ER -