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Experiences of people with opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic : A qualitative study. Galarneau, Lexis R.; Hilburt, Jesse; O'Neill, Zoe R.; Buxton, Jane A.; Scheuermeyer, Frank X.; Dong, Kathryn; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Orkin, Aaron M.; Barbic, Skye; Bath, Misty; Moe, Jessica; Miles, Isabelle; Tobin, Dianne; Grier, Sherry; Garrod, Emma; Kestler, Andrew
Abstract
Aim To capture pandemic experiences of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) to better inform the programs that serve them. Design We designed, conducted, and analyzed semi-structured qualitative interviews using grounded theory. We conducted interviews until theme saturation was reached and we iteratively developed a codebook of emerging themes. Individuals with lived experience of substance use provided feedback at all steps of the study. Setting We conducted phone or in-person interviews in compliance with physical distancing and public health regulations in outdoor Vancouver parks or well-ventilated indoor spaces between June to September 2020. Participants Using purposive sampling, we recruited participants (n = 19) who were individuals with OUD enrolled in an intensive community outreach program, had visited one of two emergency departments, were over 18, lived within catchment, and were not already receiving opioid agonist therapy. Measurements We audio-recorded interviews, which were later transcribed verbatim and checked for accuracy while removing all identifiers. Interviews explored participants’ knowledge of COVID-19 and related safety measures, changes to drug use and healthcare services, and community impacts of COVID-19. Results One third of participants were women, approximately two thirds had stable housing, and ages ranged between 23 and 59 years old. Participants were knowledgeable on COVID-19 public health measures. Some participants noted that fear decreased social connection and reluctance to help reverse overdoses; others expressed pride in community cohesion during crisis. Several participants mentioned decreased access to housing, harm reduction, and medical care services. Several participants reported using drugs alone more frequently, consuming different or fewer drugs because of supply shortages, or using more drugs to replace lost activities. Conclusion COVID-19 had profound effects on the social lives, access to services, and risk-taking behaviour of people with opioid use disorder. Pandemic public health measures must include risk mitigation strategies to maintain access to critical opioid-related services.
Item Metadata
| Title |
Experiences of people with opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic : A qualitative study.
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| Creator | |
| Contributor | |
| Publisher |
Public Library of Science
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| Date Issued |
2021-07-29
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| Description |
Aim
To capture pandemic experiences of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) to better inform
the programs that serve them.
Design
We designed, conducted, and analyzed semi-structured qualitative interviews using
grounded theory. We conducted interviews until theme saturation was reached and we iteratively
developed a codebook of emerging themes. Individuals with lived experience of substance
use provided feedback at all steps of the study.
Setting
We conducted phone or in-person interviews in compliance with physical distancing and
public health regulations in outdoor Vancouver parks or well-ventilated indoor spaces
between June to September 2020. Participants
Using purposive sampling, we recruited participants (n = 19) who were individuals with OUD
enrolled in an intensive community outreach program, had visited one of two emergency
departments, were over 18, lived within catchment, and were not already receiving opioid
agonist therapy.
Measurements
We audio-recorded interviews, which were later transcribed verbatim and checked for accuracy
while removing all identifiers. Interviews explored participants’ knowledge of COVID-19
and related safety measures, changes to drug use and healthcare services, and community
impacts of COVID-19.
Results
One third of participants were women, approximately two thirds had stable housing, and
ages ranged between 23 and 59 years old. Participants were knowledgeable on COVID-19
public health measures. Some participants noted that fear decreased social connection and
reluctance to help reverse overdoses; others expressed pride in community cohesion during
crisis. Several participants mentioned decreased access to housing, harm reduction, and
medical care services. Several participants reported using drugs alone more frequently,
consuming different or fewer drugs because of supply shortages, or using more drugs to
replace lost activities. Conclusion
COVID-19 had profound effects on the social lives, access to services, and risk-taking
behaviour of people with opioid use disorder. Pandemic public health measures must
include risk mitigation strategies to maintain access to critical opioid-related services.
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| Geographic Location | |
| Genre | |
| Type | |
| Language |
eng
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| Date Available |
2023-05-18
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| Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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| Rights |
Attribution 4.0 International
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| DOI |
10.14288/1.0432353
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| URI | |
| Affiliation | |
| Citation |
Galarneau LR, Hilburt J, O’Neill ZR, Buxton JA, Scheuermeyer FX, Dong K, et al. (2021) Experiences of people with opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study. PLoS ONE 16(7): e0255396.
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| Publisher DOI |
10.1371/journal.pone.0255396
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| Peer Review Status |
Reviewed
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| Scholarly Level |
Faculty; Researcher
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| Rights URI | |
| Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International