@article{10272/25568,
year = {2025},
month = {1},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10272/25568},
abstract = {Bac kgro und: Various studies have provided evidence of the impact of COVID-19 and the measures adopted by governments on drug
use and its treatment. After 4 years, a more precise assessment of the evolution of patients and addiction treatment services can be made.
The objective of this study is to compare different periods during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify changes in patient profiles and the care
activity of addiction treatment centres.
Methods : A retrospective observational study was conducted using data from March 14, 2019 to June 22, 2022, from addiction centres
of Andalusia (Spain). Information related to the treatment of each patient was collected during 1 year after the initiation of treatment (until June
22, 2023). Electronic health records of 29 740 outpatients were analysed and divided into 4 periods (pre-pandemic, lockdown, return to normal
and post-lockdown).
Results : Differences were found across the analysed periods. Admissions declined during the lockdown period but subsequently
increased, without reaching pre-pandemic levels. Admission to treatment due to opioid dependence increased during the lockdown. In contrast,
the percentage of patients with dual pathology decreased. An increase in the dropout rate of patients from treatment was observed
compared to the pre-pandemic period.
Conclusio ns: The results revealed a similar patient profile across the different analysed periods. The most notable changes are observed
in healthcare activity, which appears to have decreased. Therefore, a greater investment is likely required for the reformulation of addiction
centres and increased funding to provide adequate assistance to these patients},
organization = {The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the
research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the
grant ‘Evolución de la actividad asistencial y los resultados del tratamiento de pacientes
con trastorno por consume de sustancias en Andalucía durante las diferentes fases de la
pandemia Covid-19’, project EXP 2022/08882 by Delegación para el Gobierno del Plan
Nacional sobre Drogas (Spain) from the European Union’s Recovery, Transformation and
Resilicience Mechanism.
This study has been developed thanks to the transfer of data by
the Department of Equality, Social Policies and Conciliation of
the Junta de Andalucía},
publisher = {SAGE Publications},
title = {How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Addiction Services? A Study of the Different Periods of the Pandemic and Patient Treatment Follow-up Over 1 Year},
doi = {10.1177/29768357241306717},
author = {Narváez Camargo, Marta and Mancheño Velasco, Cinta and Díaz Batanero, María Carmen and Fernández Calderón, Fermín and Lozano Rojas, Óscar Martín},
}