@article{ref1,
title="Substance use disorder in the context of the economic crisis, covid-19 pandemic and social unrest: a cross-sectional study across Beirut (2020-2021)",
journal="L'Encephale (1974)",
year="2023",
author="Daou, Lea and Rached, Ahmad and Jrad, Manal and Naja, Wadih and Haddad, Ramzi",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Substance use disorder (SUD) is related to the interplay of various factors. The primary objective of this study was to assess the variation in substance use (SU) among a set of Lebanese people undergoing treatment for SUD during the Lebanese economic crisis, COVID-19 pandemic, and Beirut Blast. <br><br>METHODS: A cross-sectional study including Lebanese adults previously diagnosed with and being treated for SUD at the Skoun center was conducted. Data collection was done using a paper-based Arabic questionnaire tackling the economic crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Beirut Blast, as well as the following scores: APGAR, PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PCL-6. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 with P value<0.05 considered significant. A bivariate analysis was conducted to study the association between the use of substances and study variables and scores. <br><br>RESULTS: The sample included 126 men and 10 women. Most participants had a stable consumption of illicit drugs (58.8%), alcohol (76.5%), prescription drugs (70.6%) and non-prescription drugs (89%). Additionally, most participants had concomitant mild or moderate depression (55.1%), mild or moderate anxiety (50.7%), and PTSD (61.8%). Factors found to significantly increase SU were economic distress, change in employment status, and decrease in working hours. PTSD was also identified as a risk factor for increased illicit drug and alcohol use. Furthermore, severe anxiety was found to be a risk factor for increased alcohol consumption. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Most participants were able to maintain a stable pattern of SU despite the quadruple crisis in Lebanon highlighting the important role played by Lebanese Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and efforts employed to control SUD.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0013-7006",
doi="10.1016/j.encep.2023.08.013",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.encep.2023.08.013"
}