Informal Coping Strategies Among People Who Use Opioids During COVID-19: Thematic Analysis of Reddit Forums.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how people seeking to reduce opioid use access treatment services and navigate efforts to abstain from using opioids. Social distancing policies have drastically reduced access to many forms of social support, but they may have also upended some perceived barriers to reducing or abstaining from opioid use.

Objective

This qualitative study aims to identify informal coping strategies for reducing and abstaining from opioid use among Reddit users who have posted in opioid-related subreddits at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We extracted data from 2 major opioid-related subreddits. Thematic data analysis was used to evaluate subreddit posts dated from March 5 to May 13, 2020, that referenced COVID-19 and op

SUBMITTER: Arshonsky J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8896559 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature