Opioid use, motivation to quit, and treatment status related to COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: Persons who use opioids may be at elevated risk of harm from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, yet few data currently exist that can be used to examine this risk. As part of a rapid response survey, this study measured opioid users’ perceptions of risk or harm from COVID-19, as well as potential changes in motivation to quit, frequency of use, and engagement with treatment. Data collected from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (n = 562) were analyzed. RESULTS: Participants perceived modest risk elevation from COVID-19 due to their opioid use, and perceived moderate risk to themselves or their community from COVID-19. Since learning about COVID-19, 31.2% reported decreasing their opioid use, and 26.0% reported increased motivation to quit. Thirty-seven percent of participants reported both their use and motivation to quit stayed the same; 16.6% reported decreased use and increased motivation to quit. Participants who reported that their opioid use increased after learning about COVID-19, or whose motivation to quit opioids decreased, were more likely to also be engaged in treatment than those whose use or motivation stayed the same. These preliminary findings suggest that there likely is an association between COVID-19, opioid use, and treatment engagement that merits further in-depth investigation.