Every third person stated that the epidemic had caused them a psychological impairment. Above all, people who were already under stress have increasingly resorted to painkillers, sedatives, sleeping pills and stimulants. Particularly tragic: the boys in particular repeatedly took these substances.
Women are more likely to suffer from psychological stress than men
According to this survey, almost a third of those surveyed (26 percent) felt psychologically stressed. 19 percent stated that they were physically stressed. The economic or financial burden (22 percent) was also at a high level. In general, women reported a higher level of mental stress than men, as shown by the study carried out by the Institute for Social Aesthetics and Mental Health at the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna entitled “Doping in Everyday Life”. The experts wanted to shed light on the influence of the psychological stress factors caused by the pandemic on drug consumption.
“If you look at the group of people who stated that they felt psychologically stressed by the Covid 19 pandemic, there was a significantly greater increase in the use of painkillers. Those with mental stress take painkillers about twice as often as those who do not identify themselves as mentally stressed,” said Wolfgang Preinsperger, Medical Director at the Anton Proksch Institute. “A similar result can be seen with sedatives and sleeping pills. Stimulants are taken about three to four times more frequently by those who are mentally stressed than by those who are not.”
The study also showed: In addition to the actual effect of the respective substance class, indirect effects play a major role as a motive for taking them. For example, painkillers are also used for self-treatment of depressive symptoms.
Stimulant substances have been taken by four percent of those surveyed since the beginning of the pandemic. 38 percent of the people taking stimulants saw an increase in consumption and 24 percent saw a decrease in consumption. Adolescents and young adults up to the age of 30 take stimulating substances almost twice as often as older people (nine percent).
16 percent of those surveyed resorted to sleeping pills or tranquilizers
16 percent of those surveyed stated that they had taken benzodiazepines, i.e. drugs used as sleeping pills or tranquilizers, at least once during the pandemic. There is a clear increase in consumption here: 48 percent of people who take sedatives experienced an increase, while only seven percent saw a decrease. It is most common among adolescents and young adults up to the age of 30.
It is particularly striking that people with frequently changing work hours reported taking benzodiazepines almost twice as often as those with regular ones (65 percent versus 38 percent). It can be assumed that in these cases sleep disorders are “treated” with benzodiazepines, according to the experts. However, the short-term alleviation of sleep problems is offset by long-term negative effects such as sleep disorders and the development of dependencies.
45 percent of those surveyed confirmed taking painkillers
Almost half (45 percent) of those surveyed said they had taken painkillers at least once since the pandemic began. Consumption behavior does not appear to have changed during the pandemic, but it has been shown that younger people report taking painkillers much more frequently than older people.
Almost a third of the painkiller users take them several times a week, although first-generation migrants are about twice as likely as people without a migration background or second-generation migrants born in Austria. Eleven percent of Austrians take more painkillers than prescribed by a doctor. For first-generation migrants, this figure rises to 33 percent.
“Doping in everyday life” very popular
But so-called everyday doping, which includes the obligatory morning coffee, the cigarette before work, the espresso in the afternoon break or even the glass of wine in the evening to relax on the couch, has increased. Almost every Austrian consumes caffeinated drinks and food. In 2019, three quarters of the adult population consumed alcohol at least once. Almost half of those surveyed take dietary supplements. A quarter of Austrians smoke at least occasionally.
An estimated 150,000 Austrians are drug dependent. Due to the presumably very high number of unreported cases, the actual number is much higher, with estimates of up to 300,000 people. “It is difficult to give an exact figure because drug dependency, like no other addiction, takes place in secret and those affected remain socially inconspicuous for a long time,” says Preinsperger.
While the scientific literature on alcohol or drug addiction is very extensive, there have been hardly any research results on drug addiction – a data gap that the present study aims to help fill. In the first part of the study, a sample of 1,000 people was surveyed by telephone through Gallup Austria. In an additional survey in October 2021, the pandemic-related consumption and everyday doping trends were then specifically examined by means of an online survey.
Source: Nachrichten
