The impact of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown on mental health—including an greater risk of suicide, alcoholism and substance abuse disorder (SUD)—continues to make news. A new report from the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute points to the link between unemployment and substance abuse, noting that an estimated 10 percent of unemployed adults have a SUD involving an illicit drug, including opioid use, compared to a 3 percent rate for employed adults. In addition, the report says that estimates for the impact of Covid-19 on mental health could be conservative, due to the extreme isolation, fear, psychological distress and job losses it has caused.
Meanwhile, the race for the Democratic Party’s Senate nomination in Massachusetts between Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy is heating up over the issue of marijuana legalization. In the not too distant past, both candidates generally opposed legal weed—but now both tout their pro-pot credentials. In a recent debate, each candidate made the case they were quicker than the other to evolve from staunch prohibitionist to endorsing adult-use legalization. For his part, Kennedy noted that his past opposition was related to concerns about youth and adolescent exposure to marijuana, while today he is focusing on the issue of criminal justice reform.
And finally, a federal task force is for the first time recommending regular screening of all adults over 18 for illicit drug use. The new guidance was issued after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concluded that there is now sufficient evidence to suggest regular screening, and that testing tools were highly accurate in identifying unhealthy drug use.