Trial reportHarm reduction journal2026
Substance use and mental health before versus during COVID-19 pandemic among persons who inject drugs with HCV infection history-the HERO study.
Trial report in Harm reduction journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02824640 (Patient-Centered Models of HCV Care for People Who Inject Drugs), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
Patient-Centered Models of HCV Care for People Who Inject Drugs
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Authors and funding
17 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted mental health and substance use-related outcomes in the general population. However, few studies have compared specific substance use patterns and behaviors and mental health outcomes between the COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 periods among persons who inject drugs with HCV infection.
methodsThis study included a secondary trend analysis using data from the HERO study. The pre-COVID-19 and the COVID-19 periods within the HERO study timeframe were compared on substance use and mental health outcomes, which were measured at multiple timepoints per participant. Substance use behaviors included the use, reuse, and sharing of drug injection equipment; the type of substance used; and mental health outcomes included depression and anxiety. Generalized linear mixed models were used to test changes in the study outcomes between the pre-COVID-19 and the COVID-19 periods.
resultsCompared to the pre-COVID-19 period, the COVID-19 period was associated with higher likelihoods of injecting drugs [aOR = 1.64; 95% CI (1.23, 2.17); p = 0.001], reusing one's injection equipment [aOR = 3.14; 95% CI (2.28, 4.32); p < 0.001], using benzodiazepines [aOR = 4.16; 95% CI (2.02, 8.58); p < 0.001] and other opiates/pills/painkillers [aOR = 1.72; 95% CI (1.01, 2.93); p = 0.047], and higher depression [estimated mean difference = 0.97; 95% CI (0.09, 1.85); p = 0.030]. There were no significant differences in sharing of drug injection equipment and anxiety between the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods.
conclusionsCompared to pre-COVID-19 period, injection drug use and reuse of drug injection equipment increased during the COVID-19 period. There was an increase in the use of certain drug types (benzodiazepines and opiates/pills/painkillers) and a rise in depression levels during COVID-19. Ensuring continuity of access to healthcare, including harm reduction services, treatment for substance use and mental health during health crisis times, is important for catering to the special healthcare needs of PWID. CLINICAL TRIAL: This research is a secondary analysis study based on data from the parent trial, the HERO study (Litwin et al., 2019; Litwin et al., 2022) registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02824640, 07/01/2016).
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