ArticleBMC public health2022
The impact of COVID-19 on access to harm reduction, substance use treatment and recovery services in Scotland: a qualitative study.
Article in BMC public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The impact of relaxing restrictions on take-home doses during the COVID-19 pandemic on program effectiveness and client experiences in opioid agonist treatment: a mixed methods systematic review.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2023Pooled it
- Spatial Patterns of Opioid Overdose Mortality Risk Across Urban, Transitional, and Rural Communities Using Satellite-Derived and Socioeconomic Indicators.Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine · 2026Article
- Using Routinely Collected Data From the Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies Database to Evaluate the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Trends in Service Delivery in Outpatient Non-Government Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services.Alcohol, clinical & experimental research · 2026Observational
- Lessons from COVID-19: Perspectives of senior managers and decision-makers in substance use services in Wales.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2026Article
- Alcohol- and drug-related mortality in Brazil: an ecological and population-based study on changes observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2026Article
- When do health and social care practitioners consider digital healthcare to be 'good care' for people with co-occurring alcohol-use disorder and depression? a qualitative analysis of practitioners' accounts.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Optimal provision of opiate substitution therapy and needle and syringe programmes: a multi-method realist evaluation.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025Article
- Innovations at the intersection of homelessness and substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Addressing the Health Needs of People Who Inject Drugs: A Descriptive Analysis of an Inpatient Integrated Care Team Within an Acute Hospital in Scotland.Open forum infectious diseases · 2025Article
- City-level drug policies in Portugal: the COVID-19 pandemic as an analyzer of harm reduction responsiveness in Porto and Lisbon.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- The impact of Covid-19 on harm reduction policies in Iran: an interrupted time series analysis.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Article
- Greater impact of COVID-19 on peer-supported addiction services than government-owned services for addiction in Japan: A nationwide 3-year longitudinal cohort study.PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2024Article
- Giving Up the Guidelines: A Qualitative Evaluation of Disrupted Prescribing of Opioid Substitution Therapy in a Rural UK County During and Following the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Using digital technology to reduce drug-related harms: a targeted service users' perspective of the Digital Lifelines Scotland programme.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- Strategies and Adaptations to an Integrated Substance Use and Infant Mental Health Treatment Program During COVID-19.Administration and policy in mental health · 2024Article
- Increases in 'deaths of despair' during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and the United Kingdom.Public health · 2023Article
- Alcohol minimum unit pricing and people experiencing homelessness: A qualitative study of stakeholders' perspectives and experiences.Drug and alcohol review · 2023Article
- Understanding and learning from rural drug service adaptations to opioid substitution therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic: the What C-OST? study.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for substance misuse services: findings from a peer-led study.Harm reduction journal · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionPeople who use drugs (PWUD) are considered vulnerable to COVID-19 exposure and the sequelae of infection due to their social circumstances, health conditions, drug purchasing, and substance use. They can depend on access to services that provide harm reduction, substance use treatment, recovery and support, and general healthcare. Social distancing measures and service restrictions posed significant challenges to the health and wellbeing of PWUD.
methodsEthical approvals were secured. PWUD were recruited from voluntary sector homeless and housing, harm reduction, and recovery organisations across central Scotland. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and analysed using the Framework Method.
resultsTwenty nine PWUD participated and reported mixed experiences of the impacts of COVID-19 lockdown. Several benefitted from policy and practice developments designed to sustain or increase access to harm reduction services. Some PWUD reported improved access to substitute prescribing and/or appreciated being trusted to manage multiple take-home doses. Others noted the loss of regular in-person contact with treatment providers and dispensers. Access to recovery support was challenging for many, especially those unable to access or uncomfortable with online provision who experienced greater isolation. Lack of access to general healthcare services was common, and especially problematic for PWUD with chronic physical and mental health conditions.
conclusionsThis qualitative research describes the impacts of COVID-19 social and service restrictions on PWUD in Scotland. These impacts were anticipated by policy makers and service providers. Effective and acceptable developments were shown to maintain and even increase service provision for PWUD. Developments were geographically dependent and significant challenges remained for many people. The learning generated can inform responses to increase service access and uptake in post-pandemic times.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.