Covid-19 vaccination status and beliefs of individuals with co-occurring serious mental illness and alcohol use disorder

Mohammad Keshtkar; Diana Tyutyunnyk; Paige King; Katharine Palmer; Mariah Brigman; Julianne D. Jett; Rachael Beck; Sara C. Parent; Richard Ries; Sterling M. McPherson; Naomi S. Chaytor; John M. Roll; Douglas L. Weeks; Michael G. McDonell

Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports (Dec 2024)

Covid-19 vaccination status and beliefs of individuals with co-occurring serious mental illness and alcohol use disorder

Mohammad Keshtkar,
Diana Tyutyunnyk,
Paige King,
Katharine Palmer,
Mariah Brigman,
Julianne D. Jett,
Rachael Beck,
Sara C. Parent,
Richard Ries,
Sterling M. McPherson,
Naomi S. Chaytor,
John M. Roll,
Douglas L. Weeks,
Michael G. McDonell

Affiliations

Mohammad Keshtkar: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA
Diana Tyutyunnyk: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA
Paige King: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA
Katharine Palmer: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA
Mariah Brigman: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA
Julianne D. Jett: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA
Rachael Beck: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA
Sara C. Parent: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA
Richard Ries: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
Sterling M. McPherson: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Program of Excellence in Addiction Research, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Analytics and PsychoPharmacology Laboratory, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
Naomi S. Chaytor: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
John M. Roll: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Program of Excellence in Addiction Research, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
Douglas L. Weeks: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA
Michael G. McDonell: Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Promoting Research Initiatives in Substance Use and Mental Health Collaborative, Spokane, WA, USA; Program of Excellence in Addiction Research, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Correspondence to: Washington State University, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd., HERB 425, Spokane, WA 99202, USA.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13
p. 100284

Abstract

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Objective: The study objective was to determine factors associated with obtaining COVID-19 vaccination in people with co-occurring alcohol use disorder (AUD) and serious mental illness (SMI). Methods: Survey responses were obtained from 135 adults with SMI seeking community-based AUD treatment about their primary series vaccination status, COVID-19 preventative practices, vaccination motivators, reasons for vaccine hesitancy, and strategies to increase vaccination uptake. Vaccinated and unvaccinated groups were compared. Responses to survey items with nominal or Likert scales were analyzed with chi-square tests of association. Logistic regression was employed to determine predictors of vaccine status. Results: Seventy-nine percent (n=107) of participants reported they were vaccinated. A higher proportion of vaccinated participants believed COVID-19 was a serious disease. While both groups adopted preventative hygiene practices at similar rates (e.g., washing hands), vaccinated participants engaged in more interpersonal practices directly involving others (e.g., wearing masks and avoiding crowds). The strongest vaccine motivator was protecting personal health, while the primary reason for hesitancy was potential side effects. Most unvaccinated participants endorsed increased safety information availability (61.1 %) and living with a high-risk-for-severe-infection individual (55.6 %) as reasons to overcome hesitancy. Conclusions: Vaccination rates, motivators, and hesitancy reasons were similar to the general United States population. Strategies to increase vaccination in this high-risk population should include education on vaccine safety and side effects and the impacts of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses on others.

Published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports

ISSN: 2772-7246 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/drug-and-alcohol-dependence-reports

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