Abstract
Self-medication with antibiotics is a major contributing factor to antimicrobial resistance. Prior research examining factors associated with antibiotic self-medication has focused on an individual’s knowledge about antibiotics, antibiotic usage practices, accessibility to antibiotic medication, and demographic characteristics. The role of psychological distress associated with perceived health risks in explaining antibiotic self-medication is less understood. This study was designed to address this knowledge gap in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. An online survey of 2217 participants was conducted at the height of the initial outbreak and revealed that 19.5% of participants took antibiotics to protect themselves from COVID-19. Multivariate logistic analysis examined the predictors of taking antibiotics for protection against COVID-19. An integrative framework developed from the results illustrates potential pathways and facilitating factors that may contribute to prophylactic self-medication with antibiotics. Specifically, COVID-19 pandemic-induced psychological distress was significantly positively related to self-medication. Preventive use of antibiotics was also facilitated by a lack of understanding about antibiotics, inappropriate antibiotics usage practices, the nature of the patient-doctor relationship, and demographic characteristics. The findings highlight that to combat antimicrobial resistance due to self-medication, interventions need to focus on interrupting entrenched behavioural responses and addressing emotional responses to perceived health risks.
Highlights
We found that participants who took antibiotics for COVID-19 reported significantly higher level of psychological distress as compared to those who did not
The current study sought to examine the psychological distress associated with the prevailing threat of illness and taking antibiotics in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
In our survey with members of the Australian population, around 1 in 5 people disclosed that they were self-medicating with antibiotics to protect themselves from contracting COVID-19
Summary
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats facing humanity. Drugresistant infections cause at least 700,000 deaths globally each year. Without intervention, this mortality rate has been projected to reach 10 million deaths annually by 2050 [1]. Self-medication with antibiotics has been identified as a significant contributing factor to AMR [2,3,4,5,6]. Research has shown that self-medication with antibiotics is widely practised, even in developed countries with advanced healthcare systems and strict regulations [4,8,9,10,11,12,13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
