COVID-19-related treatment service disruptions among people with single- and polysubstance use concerns

Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), including those in long-term recovery, and their loved ones are facing rapid changes to treatment and support services due to COVID-19. To assess these changes, the Addiction Policy Forum fielded a survey to their associated patient and family networks between April 27 and May 13, 2020. Individuals who reported a history of use of multiple substances were more likely to report that COVID-19 has affected their treatment and service access, and were specifically more likely to report both use of telehealth services and difficulties accessing needed services. These findings suggest that individuals with a history of using multiple substances may be at greater risk for poor outcomes due to COVID-19, even in the face of expansion of telehealth service access.
Highlights • People with substance use disorders (SUDs) report barriers to treatment. • The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted treatment access for people with SUDs. • People with polysubstance SUDs (poly-SUDs) report more telehealth use. • People with poly-SUDs report more inability accessing treatments.