Mental health and psychoactive substance consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay

RUIZ P.; PAUTASSI R.M.

Congreso; 2022 Virtual Meeting of the Latinamerican Society of Biomedical Research on Alcoholism; 2022

Latinamerican Society of Biomedical Research on Alcoholism

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant, worldwide impact on mental health variables and on substance use, yet more info is needed to ascertain these effects in the South American countries. We conducted two surveys to study the dynamics of drugs consumption during the pandemic in Uruguay, and its relationship with psychological discomfort. The first survey took place early during the course of the pandemic (March-April 2020, n=1916), when the number of COVID cases in Uruguay was rather low; whereas the second was conducted when the country exhibited peaked case of the disease (April-May 2021, n=1253). In the first assessment we found that the main drugs consumed were alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and psychopharmaceuticals. In addition, those who reported to increase (relative to the pre-pandemic time-frame) the volume or frequency of consumption of their main, “preferred”, drug, or began to use a new substance, reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress, compare to those not reporting those outcomes. In the second survey we found greater levels of psychological distress than in the first survey, and found that those exhibiting greater levels of alcohol or marijuana consumption reported greater levels of psychological distress. These results are important for the design of public policies to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.