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Depression, distress and their association with patterns of psychoactive substance use during the COVID-19 emergency state in latvia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

J. Vrublevska ,
A. Šibalova ,
I. Aleskere ,
B. Rezgale ,
D. Smirnova ,
K. Fountoulakis  and
E. Rancans
J. Vrublevska
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry And Narcology, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
A. Šibalova
Affiliation:
Faculty Of Residency, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
I. Aleskere
Affiliation:
Faculty Of Residency, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
B. Rezgale
Affiliation:
Faculty Of Residency, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
D. Smirnova
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Narcology, Psychotherapy And Clinical Psychology, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russian Federation
K. Fountoulakis
Affiliation:
3rd Department Of Psychiatry, School Of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
E. Rancans*
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry And Narcology, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

The WHO warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could have psychiatric consequences such as elevated levels depression, increased alcohol and drug use, and other behaviours that exert a strong influence on health. In Latvia a state of emergency was announced on March 12th, was extended twice and lifted on June 10th.

Objectives

To estimate the prevalence of depression and distress in the general population of Latvia and association with substance use during the state of emergency.

Methods

The nationwide representative online study in the general population of Latvia was conducted in July 2020 during three week period. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to determine the presence of distress/depression. The structured questionnaire to determine psychoactive substance use was applied. Proportions of independent variables across the study groups were compared using Chi-square test.

Results

The study sample included 2608 respondents. The prevalence of depression and distress was estimated at 5.7% (95%CI 4.92 – 6.71) and 13.5% (95%CI 6.85 – 8.91), respectively. Patients with depression (28% vs. 7.4%, p <0.001) and distress (30.9% vs. 7.4% p <0.05) smoked more tobacco compared to respondents without distress/depression. Those with depression or distress were significantly more likely to consume more alcohol during the emergency state than people without depression or distress (14.0% and 17.7% vs. 6.6%, p <0.001). The changes in the use of other psychoactive substances in those who had depression or distress were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Preparing support systems to mitigate mental health consequences is needed urgently.

Keywords

Co-morbiditiesDepressionAlcoholCOVID-19
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 64 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 29th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2021 , pp. S244
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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