The Changing Landscape of Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Perspectives of Early Career Professionals in 16 Countries

Calvey T 1 , Scheibein F , Saad NA , Shirasaka T , Dannatt L , Stowe MJ Show all authors , Shah B , Narasimha VL , Bruschi A , Peyron E , Gumikiriza-Onoria JL , Ghosh A , Pant SB , Yee A , Ratta-Apha W , Vadivel R , Siste K , Maiti T , Boujraf S , Grandinetti P , Morgan N , Arya S

Affiliations 

  • 1 Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (TC, NM), Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland (FS), Ain Shams University, Egypt (NAS), Department of Psychiatry, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, Japan (TS), Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa (LD), Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa (MJS), Department of Psychiatry, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Patan Hospital, Nepal (BS), Centre for Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India (LN), Department of Mental Health, ASL Viterbo, Italy (AB), Neuroscienze Cliniche, Viterbo, Italy (AB), Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy (AB), AddiPsy, Lyon, France (EP), Makerere University, Uganda (JLGO), Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India (AG), Department of Psychiatry and Mental health, Tribhuvan University Teaching hospital, Nepal (SBP), Department of Psychological Medicine, University Malaya Centre of Addiction Sciences (UMCAS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia (AY), Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand (WRa), Department of Mental Health and Addictions, Waikato District Health Board, Hamilton, New Zealand (RV), Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia-Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Indonesia (KS), Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, India (TM), Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Sidi Mohamed ben Abdellah University of Fez, Morocco (SB), Department of Territorial Assistance, ASL Teramo, Italy (PG), Institute of Mental Health, University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, India (SA)
J Addict Med, 2020 12;14(6):e284-e286.
PMID: 32909983 DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000735

Abstract

: Alcohol use is a major risk factor for infectious disease and reduction of harms associated with alcohol consumption are essential during times of humanitarian crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. As a network of early career professionals working in the area of addiction medicine, we provide our views with regards to national actions related to reducing alcohol-related harm and providing care for people with alcohol use disorder during COVID-19. We believe that COVID-19 related measures have affected alcohol consumption in the majority of countries represented in this commentary. Examples of these changes include changes in alcohol consumption patterns, increases in cases of alcohol withdrawal syndrome, disruptions in access to medical care for alcohol use disorder and increases in illegal production of alcohol. Our members urge that treatment for acute and severe conditions due to substance use should be considered as essential services in times of humanitarian crises like COVID-19.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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