Prevalence Of Substance Use Research Articles

Perspectives of young adults diagnosed with early psychosis using coordinated specialty care in Texas on substance use and substance use interventions.

Despite known prevalence of substance use (SU) among young people experiencing early psychosis and increasing evidence for the relationship between certain substances (e.g., cannabis) and psychosis, there are no specialized interventions developed for effectively addressing substance use among young people participating in coordinated early psychosis services. This study elicited the perspectives of young people with early psychosis participating in Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) programs about their substance use, including their motivations and concerns around their use, and their ideas on how to best support young people who are interested in reducing or quitting substance use. We recruited young adults (ages 18 to 30) from CSC programs across Texas through flyers sent to program staff inviting young persons willing to talk about substance use to engage in a 60-90 min person-centered, semi-structured, audio-recorded Zoom interview. A total of 22 young adults were recruited and 18 completed an interview. Participants described mixed positive and negative responses to substance use, and while many understood the importance of discontinuing substance use, many expressed ambivalence related to social, contextual, mental and physical factors that motivated them to keep using. Participants desired practical substance use information, opportunities to explore their substance use ambivalence in supportive relationships, positive peer communities to support healthy choices, help engage, with work, school, and hobbies, and strategies for addressing psychological and physical pain that did not include substance use. Study findings illuminate what motivates young people with early psychosis to initiate, continue, or cut back on substance use, and ideas for CSC practices for exploring substances and helping young people to reduce substance use.

Substance use and treatment characteristics among pregnant and non-pregnant females, 2015–2019

IntroductionIn the United States (US), pregnant females who use substances face increased morbidity and mortality risks compared to non-pregnant females. This study provides a national snapshot of substance use and treatment characteristics among US reproductive-aged females, including those who are pregnant. MethodsOur sample included females aged 15–44 years (n=97,830) from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data. We calculated weighted percentages of past-month alcohol or drug use and past-year substance use disorder (SUD), stratified by pregnancy status. We also calculated weighted percentages of past-year treatment setting and payer. Pearson chi-square tests were conducted to determine if percentages were statistically significantly different. ResultsCompared to non-pregnant females, pregnant females had lower prevalence of past-month illicit drug use excluding cannabis (1.6% vs. 4.3%, p<0.01), cannabis use (5.3% vs. 12.5%, p<0.01), binge drinking (4.5% vs. 29.3%, p<0.01) and past-year SUD (7.1 vs. 8.8%, p<0.01). Less than 13% of females with SUD received treatment regardless of pregnancy status, but treatment use was higher among pregnant females compared to non-pregnant females (12.8% vs. 10.5%). However, there were no statistically significant differences in past-year treatment use, setting, or treatment payer. DiscussionThe prevalence of substance use and SUD was lower among pregnant females compared to non-pregnant females in 2015–2019. Low uptake of substance use treatment suggests that barriers exist to treatment-seeking among reproductive-aged women. Further exploration of stigma, payment, and access to treatment, and how they differ by pregnancy status, is needed.

Status and Prevalence of Substance Use Among Students of Tabora Polytechnic College, Tuli Campus, Tabora-a Cross Sectional Study

Status and Prevalence of Substance Use Among Students of Tabora Polytechnic College, Tuli Campus, Tabora-a Cross Sectional Study

Substance use among pregnant women in NSW prisons

Introduction and aimsLittle is published about pregnant women in custody. Existing data on the prevalence of substance use among incarcerated pregnant women or their needs are scant. This study sought to determine the prevalence and characteristics of women with substance use histories who present to prison pregnant in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Design and methodsA retrospective review of prison medical health records was completed for pregnant women entering New South Wales custodial settings between January 2020 and June 2021. ResultsWe identified 158 prison receptions among 141 pregnant women (median age 28 years [IQR 25–33 years]), 42 % identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Eighty four percent of the women (n = 119) reported recent use of one or more than one substance and 36 % had injected drugs. The most commonly used substances were (meth)amphetamine (60 %), cannabis (40 %) and opioids (28 %). We found discrepancies between drug problems self-reported at reception screening on entry to prison and self-reported drug use collected during the subsequent drug and alcohol specialist assessment while incarcerated. Most (88 %) women described their current pregnancy as unplanned and half (52 %) were unaware they were pregnant before incarceration. ConclusionsThese findings highlight the high prevalence of substance use in incarcerated pregnant women and that many women are unaware of their pregnancy prior to incarceration. Findings emphasize the importance of timely and appropriate drug and alcohol assessment and treatment to minimize harm for both the mother and foetus and also underscore the urgent need for enhanced access to contraception for these women.

12-Step Recovery: Interpersonal and Spiritual Attachment

The prevalence of substance use is a growing concern in the United States and has long lasting effects on this population. There is a growing body of research concluding that Attachment Theory may offer some new insights into addiction and addiction recovery.

Prevalence of Substance Use During Pregnancy and the Related Factors: A Study from Southeast Iran

Background: Substance use during pregnancy has an increasing trend in all socio-economic classes. In addition to the fetal consequences, this problem has many other economic and social harmful effects. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of substance use and its related factors in pregnant women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed using a self-administered questionnaire on 587 pregnant women in Kerman, Iran who visited public health centers and private offices to receive prenatal care. Participants were recruited from January to February 2020 using a multistage sampling method. Results: The most prevalent substances used during pregnancy were waterpipe (8.5%), opium (2.6%), and alcohol (1.7%). Substance use in the first-degree relatives strongly correlated with substance use in pregnant women (odds ratio [OR]=7.26). The low educational level of pregnant women’s husbands was also a predictor of substance use in pregnant women (OR=3.15). Conclusion: Since substance use by family members was the strongest correlate of drug use during pregnancy, family-based interventions should be tailored to address early detection of such vulnerable women and to provide appropriate counseling services.

Metamfetamin Kullanım Bozukluğu Olan Genç Yetişkinlerde Sosyal Anksiyete ve Anksiyete Duyarlılığı Arasındaki İlişki

Objective: Recently, it has been observed that the prevalence of substance use in young adulthood has increased. Comorbidity of anxiety disorders is high in individuals with substance use disorder. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and social anxiety in young adults using methamphetamine. Material and Methods: 101 patients diagnosed with methamphetamine use disorder were included in the study. Participants were evaluated with sociodemographic data form, Addiction Profile Index (BAPI), Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Inventory (LSAI) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3). Results: It was determined that 70.3% of the subjects with SUD were diagnosed as SAD. ASI-3, SCL-90-R and BAPI scores were statistically significantly higher in the SAD group than in the non-SAD group (p&amp;lt;0.05). A statistically significant positive correlation was found in the SAD group between the LSAI-fear/anxiety subscale scores and ADI-3 total (r=0.26, p&amp;lt;0.05), ADI-3 cognitive(r=0.34, p&amp;lt;0.05) and SCL-90-R total scores (r=0.28, p&amp;lt;0.05). No correlation was found between LSAI scores and ADI-3 total and subscale scores in the non-SAD group (p&amp;gt;0.05). Conclusion: It can be suggested that anxiety sensitivity is a common risk factor for both methamphetamine use disorder and social anxiety. Social anxiety symptoms should be questioned in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder and substance addiction treatment should be carried out together with social anxiety disorder treatment.

Diabetes and substance use: a perspective within drug rehabilitation

Diabetes mellitus has become increasingly more common and diagnosed within the global population. Coupled with the continued prevalence of substance use, there are some distinct considerations for users suffering (knowingly or unknowingly) from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The various different types of drugs of abuse including central nervous system stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens present varying direct and indirect complications for diabetes based on their physiological and psychological effects ranging from non-compliance with medication to an increased risk of hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, and/or ketoacidosis. This perspective highlights these issues supported by the drug history and toxicological findings in patients undergoing drug rehabilitation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) demonstrating the use of alcohol, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, opiates/opioids (especially tramadol), pregabalin, and synthetic cannabinoids. Physicians and drug clinic professionals should be aware of the contraindications of substance use and diabetes with a view to educating patients and healthcare professionals within such clinical settings.

Assessing the associations between known genetic variants and substance use in people with HIV in the United States.

The prevalence of substance use in people with HIV (PWH) in the United States is higher than in the general population and is an important driver of HIV-related outcomes. We sought to assess if previously identified genetic associations that contribute to substance use are also observed in a population of PWH. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of alcohol, smoking, and cannabis use phenotypes in a multi-ancestry population of 7,542 PWH from the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS). We conducted multi-ancestry GWAS for individuals of African (n = 3,748), Admixed American (n = 1,334), and European (n = 2,460) ancestry. Phenotype data were self-reported and collected using patient reported outcomes (PROs) and three questions from AUDIT-C, an alcohol screening tool. We analyzed nine phenotypes: 1) frequency of alcohol consumption, 2) typical number of drinks on a day when drinking alcohol, 3) frequency of five or more alcoholic drinks in a 30-day period, 4) smoking initiation, 5) smoking cessation, 6) cigarettes per day, 7) cannabis use initiation, 8) cannabis use cessation, 9) frequency of cannabis use during the previous 30 days. For each phenotype we considered a) variants previously identified as associated with a substance use trait and b) novel associations. We observed evidence for effects of previously reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to alcohol (rs1229984, p = 0.001), tobacco (rs11783093, p = 2.22E-4), and cannabis use (rs2875907, p = 0.005). We also report two novel loci (19p13.2, p = 1.3E-8; and 20p11.21, p = 2.1E-8) associated with cannabis use cessation. Our analyses contribute to understanding the genetic bases of substance use in a population with relatively higher rates of use compared to the general population.

Substance Use Disorder and Prison: Special Focus on Opioid Dependence

Incarceration and substance use disorder (SUD) are closely related. SUDs are associated with almost all the steps of incarceration, and also with recidivism. In this narrative review, we will evaluate the existing evidence regarding the prevalence of substance use, and the efficacy of comprehensive management of SUD in prison settings. The prevalence of substance use is significantly higher in the prison population around the world. The criminalization of substance use aggravates the situation and also limits treatment access. There is a dearth of research on SUD s in low- and medium-income countries including India. Evidence suggests effective management of SUD in prison settings can improve quality of life, reduce high-risk behavior, and minimize post-discharge overdose deaths in patients with opioid dependence. Effective withdrawal management and maintenance therapy including opioid substitution treatment should be available in a prison setting. Comprehensive management of SUD in the prison population will ascertain the right of health for the prison population in particular and improve the well-being of society as a whole.

Implementation of Substance Use Services to Justice-Involved Youth: Examining Barriers, Facilitators, and Best Practices.

Justice-involved youth are known to be at elevated risk of substance use disorder (SUD). This review examines literature published over a 10-year period and summarizes evidence-based practices for screening, treatment, and linkage to care for justice-involved youth as well as barriers and facilitators that may arise during implementation. Strategies to incorporate a health equity lens and trauma-informed approaches are discussed. Despite high prevalence of substance use and research showing that treatment reduces recidivism, few juvenile justice systems universally screen and treat youth with SUD. There is limited developmentally appropriate guidance available for those seeking to better address substance use in juvenile justice settings. This review highlights gaps in the literature, which must be addressed to increase access to treatment and improve outcomes for this vulnerable youth population.

Associations of psychoactive substances and steroid hormones in hair: Findings relevant to stress research from a large cohort of young adults

ObjectiveEpidemiological studies increasingly use hair samples to assess people’s cumulative exposure to steroid hormones, but how the use of different psychoactive substances may affect steroid hormone levels in hair is, so far, largely unknown. The current study addresses this gap by establishing the substance exposure correlates of cortisol, cortisone, and testosterone in hair, while also accounting for a number of relevant covariates. MethodData came from a large urban community-sample of young adults with a high prevalence of substance use (N = 1002, mean age=20.6 years, 50.2% female), who provided 3 cm of hair samples. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) quantified cortisol, cortisone, and testosterone, as well as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”), cocaine, several opioids, and their respective metabolites. Multiple linear regression models with covariates were used to predict steroid hormone levels from substance exposure in a four-step approach: In the full sample, low and high substance hair concentrations (median split) were first tested against no use for each substance individually (step 1) and for all substances together (step 2). Then, within the participants with any substance in hair only, the continuous hair concentration of each substance in pg/mg (step 3) and finally of all substances together, were regressed (step 4). ResultsLow, high, and continuous levels of THC in hair were robustly associated with higher levels of cortisol (sig. in step 1 low THC: β = 0.29, p = .021; high THC: β = 0.42, p = .001; step 2: low THC: β = 0.27, p = 0.036, and high THC: β = 0.40, p = .004, and step 4: β = 0.12, p = .041). Participants with high MDMA levels had higher levels of cortisone without adjusting for other substances (step 1: β = 0.34, p = .026), but this effect was not significant in the other models. While high THC levels were associated with lower levels of testosterone in step 2 (β = −0.35, p = .018), MDMA concentration was positively related to testosterone concentration with and without adjusting for other substances (step 3: β = 0.24, p = .041; step 4: β = 0.17, 95%, p = .015) in male participants. ConclusionThe use of psychoactive substances, especially of cannabis and ecstasy, should be considered in studies investigating steroid hormones in hair.

The longitudinal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' internalizing symptoms, substance use, and digital media use.

The present study examined the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent internalizing symptoms, substance use, and digital media use before and during the pandemic. A nationally representative longitudinal cohort of 3718 Israeli adolescents aged 12-16 at baseline completed measures of internalizing symptoms (anxiety, depression, and somatization), the prevalence of substance use (i.e., previous 30-day use of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis), and average daily use of internet/television, video games, and social media. Social support and daily routines were assessed aspotential protectivefactorsfor mental health. Data were collected in 10 public schools at four measurement points: before the Covid-19 outbreak (September 2019), after the first wave lockdown (May 2020), after the third wave lockdown (May 2021), and after the fifth wave of the pandemic (May 2022). Multi-level mixed models were used to analyze the longitudinal data. The results showed significant increases in internalizing symptoms, substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis), and daily screen time from the start of the study to the 33-month follow-up. Social support and daily routines moderatedtheincreasesin internalizing symptoms and digital media use. These findings highlight the need for public and educational mental health services to address the continuing impact of the pandemic on adolescents.

Substance Use Patterns and Their Association with Depression and Social Factors During COVID-19 Among Harlem Residents in New York City

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of substance use before and during COVID-19; and examined its association with depression and social factors among 437 residents from the neighborhood of Harlem in Northern Manhattan, New York City. Over a third of respondents reported using any substance before COVID-19, and initiating/increasing substance use during COVID-19. The most common substances used before COVID-19 and initiated/increased during COVID-19 were smoking (20.8% vs. 18.3%), marijuana (18.8% vs. 15.3%), and vaping (14.2% and 11.4%). The percentages of any hard drug use were 7.3% and 3.4%, respectively. After adjustment, residents with mild (Prevalence Ratio [PR] = 2.86, 95% CI 1.65, 4.92) and moderate (PR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.86, 5.56) symptoms of depression, and housing insecurity (PR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.12, 1.91) had at least a 47% greater probability of initiating and/or increasing substance use. Conversely, respondents with employment insecurity (PR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.57, 0.88) were 29% less likely to report such patterns. No association was found between substance use initiation and/or increase and food insecurity. High prevalence of substance use during COVID-19 may lead residents to turn to substance use as a coping mechanism for psychosocial stressors. Thus, it is essential to provide accessible and culturally sensitive mental health and substance use services.

Prevalence of substance use and mental health problems among transgender and cisgender U.S. adults: Results from a national probability sample

Transgender individuals experience numerous health disparities relative to cisgender individuals. However, most transgender-health studies have focused on convenience samples with limited generalizability. This study utilized data from the 2016–2018 TransPop Study, the first national probability sample of transgender adults (n=274) with a cisgender comparison sample (n=1162). Using multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for demographics, we compared the prevalence of hazardous drinking, problematic drug use, serious psychological distress, suicidality, and non-suicidal self-injury between transgender and cisgender individuals and among transgender men (n=78), transgender women (n=120), and transgender nonbinary individuals (n=76). Among transgender individuals, 28.2% (95%CI 21.2–35.2) and 31.2% (95%CI 23.8–38.7) reported hazardous drinking and problematic drug use, respectively; 44.4% (95% CI 35.8–53.0) reported recent suicidal ideation, 6.9% (95% CI 2.3–11.5) reported a recent suicide attempt, and 21.4% (95% CI 14.5%-28.4%) reported recent non-suicidal self-injury. In their lifetime, 81.3% (95%CI 75.1–87.5) of transgender respondents had suicidal ideation, 42.0% (95%CI 34.2–49.8) had attempted suicide, and 56.0% (95% CI 48.2–63.8) reported non-suicidal self-injury. Most (81.5%; 95%CI 75.5–87.5) had utilized formal mental health care and 25.5% (95%CI 18.5–32.4) had sought informal mental health support. There were no differences in alcohol or drug-use outcomes between transgender and cisgender adults. Compared to cisgender adults, transgender adults had higher odds of serious psychological distress (aOR=3.1; 95%CI 1.7–5.7), suicidal ideation (recent: aOR=5.1, 95%CI 2.7–9.6); lifetime: aOR=6.7, 95%CI 3.8–11.7), lifetime suicide attempts (aOR=4.4, 95%CI 2.4–8.0), and non-suicidal self-injury (recent: aOR=13.0, 95%CI 4.8–35.1); lifetime: aOR=7.6, 95%CI 4.1–14.3). Transgender nonbinary adults had the highest odds for all outcomes, including substance use outcomes. Findings from these national probability samples support those of earlier convenience-sample studies showing mental health disparities among transgender adults relative to cisgender adults, with nonbinary individuals at highest risk. These findings also highlight variations in risk across sub-groups of transgender individuals.

Impact of Traumatic Events on Substance Use among Internally Displaced People in Selected Flood and War Impacted Areas in Rivers State

Background: Different individuals react differently to emotionally traumatic events just as there are varying degrees of coping mechanisms. One of the common maladaptive coping mechanisms of victims of internal displacement is increased predisposition to substance use. Aim: This study determined the relationship between stressful life events and substance use among victims of flood and wars in selected parts of Rivers State. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 4 different flood and war impacted areas where 357 respondents were investigated. Ethical procedures were followed including consent from participants. Respondents of between the ages 10-75 years were included in the study and their socio-demographic characteristics determined. The Impact of Event Scale –Revised (IES-R) was used to assess posttraumatic symptomatology of the flood victims, while the CAGE and a semi-structured questionnaire were used to assess alcohol and other psychoactive substances. Rapid urine drug toxicology was done for the respondents. Data was analysed using the SPSS version 20. p≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Two hundred and eighty (79.6%) respondents had IES-R score of 22 and above while 65.3% (n=233) scored 33 and above. Prevalence of substance use was 34.4% (n=123) from self-report and 41.7% (n=149) from urine toxicology. Of the 149 respondents, 138 was among those who scored IES-R 22 and above while 11 was among those who scored below 22 (p=0.001). Alcohol was the most consumed drug with 22.65 (n=81), followed by cannabis with 18.8% (n=67), tramadol 16.5% (n=59), codeine 15.7% (n=56), Nicotine 14.8% (n=53), kolanut and khatchewing 6.4% (n=23), and benzodiazepam 12.8% (n=64). Polysubstance use was 34.17% (n=122). Three respondents use drug intravenously. Substance use significantly correlated with IES-R scores (p=0.002). Conclusion: Stressful and traumatic events may increase vulnerability to substance use, therefore Internally Displaced People (IDP) may require substance use disorder services and psychological care.

Pattern of Substance Use among Patients Attending De-Addiction Unit in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Substance use is a growing public health problem and the consequences of substance use disorder are costly to the community. The absence of data on the pattern of substance-use among drug using patients attending the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and other hospitals in south-south Nigeria and the negative consequences of substance use justified the study. Thus, the objectives of the study were to investigate the pattern of substance use, the socio-demographic characteristics and clinical indices associated with drug use among the patients attending the De-Addiction Unit in UBTH. It was a cross-sectional study that obtained data from casefiles of 48 patients. Cannabis was the most frequently used substance (52.1%), followed by alcohol (18.8%), tobacco (16.7%), tramadol (14.6%) and pentazocine (12.5%). Majority of the respondents were males 38 (79.2%), age group 18 to 27 years (75%), singles 38 (79.2%), multiple substance users 34 (70.8%), reported peer pressure influence 35 (72.9%) and reported ‘smoking’ as route of substance use 32 (66.7%). It was observed that prevalence of use of drugs among females was rising. The commonest psychiatric co-morbidity among them was depression 19 (39.6%), followed by bipolar affective disorder 10 (20.8%) and schizophrenia 7 (14.6%). Substance use prevention, treatment and control measures need to pay attention to males and female users, since the prevalence of substance use among female is rising. Such programs must bear in mind the adolescent and young adult age groups and measures to mitigate the use of common substances such as alcohol and cannabis must continue to enjoy priority. During screening/assessment for substance use, a high index of suspicion for comorbidities especially depression is important. Peer group influence and curiosity, which are identified reasons for initiating substance use, may be checked by targeted health education.

Classification of Students by Race and Hispanic/Latino/a/x Ethnicity Impacts Estimates of the Prevalence of Substance Use.

Multiracial and Hispanic/Latino/a/x youth are rapidly growing populations in the United States. When considered in substance use studies, they are often treated as homogeneous groups despite important demographic and cultural differences. The current study explores how substance use prevalence may differ depending on how precisely race and ethnicity groups are categorized. Data are from the 2018 High School Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 41,091, 48.4% female). We estimate prevalence of past 30-day substance use (i.e., alcohol, combustible tobacco, e-cigarettes, and marijuana) for all combinations of race and Hispanic/Latino/a/x ethnicity. Substance use prevalence across the specific Multiracial and Hispanic/Latino/a/x categories showed a wider range of estimates than within the traditional CDC racial and ethnic categories. Findings from this study suggest that state- and national-level surveillance of adolescent risk behavior should add further measures of race and ethnic identity to improve researchers' ability to increase precision of substance use prevalence estimates.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use patterns and physiological dysregulation in pregnant and postpartum women.

The SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increased stress levels and higher alcohol use, including in pregnant and postpartum women. In the general population, alcohol use is associated with dysregulation in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). The objectives of this study were to: (1) characterize changes in substance use during the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic via a baseline self-report survey followed by mobile ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) of substance use; and (2) examine the associations between momentary substance use and ambulatory HRV measures in pregnant and postpartum women. Pregnant and postpartum women were identified from the ENRICH-2 prospective cohort study. Participants were administered a baseline structured phone interview that included the Coronavirus Perinatal Experiences (COPE) survey and ascertained the prevalence of substance use. Over a 14-day period, momentary substance use was assessed three times daily, and HRV measurements were captured via wearable electronics. Associations between momentary substance use and HRV measures (root mean square of successive differences [RMSSD] and low frequency/high frequency [LF/HF] ratio) were examined using a mixed effects model that included within-subject (WS) and between-subject (BS) effects and adjusted for pregnancy status and participant age. The sample included 49 pregnant and 22 postpartum women. From a combination of a baseline and 14-day mEMA surveys, 21.2% reported alcohol use, 16.9% reported marijuana use, and 8.5% reported nicotine use. WS effects for momentary alcohol use were associated with the RMSSD (β = -0.14; p = 0.005) and LF/HF ratio (β = 0.14; p = 0.01) when controlling for pregnancy status and maternal age. No significant associations were observed between HRV measures and instances of marijuana or nicotine use. These findings highlight the negative effect of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health of pregnant and postpartum women associated with substance use, and in turn, ANS dysregulation, which potentially puts some women at risk of developing a substance use disorder.

TYPES OF SUBSTANCE USES AMONG SAUDI FEMALE USERS IN JEDDAH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIAFROM 2008 TO 2017: CASE - CONTROL STUDY

Background: Substance use is a major public health problem, necessitating further investigation in Saudi Arabia. This research was carried out to evaluate the patterns of substance use among Saudi women. Method:This was a case-control studyconducted in Jeddah. Data was collected and analyzed using Chi-square tests. Results: The mean age of the cases (mean± SD) was 29.9±10.9 years, while that of controls was 33.7±10.9 years. Most (71%) cases were smoking nicotine, (61.8%)using cannabis, and (47.3%) using amphetamine. Most of them were single (37%), separated (4.8%), or divorced (24.2%). More cases than controls were likely to have been in multiple marriages (p&lt;0.001), have a lower education level (p&lt;0.001), be unemployed (p&lt;0.001), have a household income of less than 5000 SR (p&lt;0.001), and live in families in conflicts (p&lt;0.001).Tuberculosis (p=0.012), HIV (p=0.036), hepatitis C or B (p=0.044), and sickle cell disease (p&lt;0.001)were more prevalent in cases than controls.Casesalso hada significantly higher prevalence of schizophrenia, depression, bipolar and personality disorders (all p&lt;0.001) than controls. Conclusion:These findings indicate the high prevalence of substance use in young Saudi females and the association with socio-economic, demographic, and mental health factors.