Understanding the effects of COVID-19 on maternal substance use

The pandemic resulting from the emergence of novel severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) prompted governmental orders across the U.S. to restrict socialinteraction to reduce the spread of the virus. Reduced social contact may have adverse effectson individuals in recovery from substance use and abuse. Moreover, substance use is known toincrease following natural disasters.1,2,3 This study will explore experiences related to thecoronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that are of particular importance for the PlanningPhase (Phase I) of the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study. Moreover, thisstudy will inform the large-scale, multi-site research study (Phase II), as crises such as naturaldisasters are likely to occur and affect sites during the longitudinal study. Our five-site Phase Iconsortium, included qualitative interviews and focus groups to inform data collection practicesfor the Phase II study using rigorous methods. Additional data collection will allow the team tobetter understand the needs of this unique population of women with substance use disorders(SUD) in response to the health, economic, and psychosocial demands of the pandemic. Thisstudy will improve recruitment and retention of subjects in the midst of other natural disasterswhich may adversely affect retention across the longitudinal study.