The Impact of COVID-19 and the Winter Season on Substance Use Disorders

In this week’s episode, Marie Cleary-Fishman, vice president of clinical quality at the AHA Center for Health Innovation is joined by Debra Houry, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to discuss how to navigate the opioid epidemic amid the emotional triggers brought on by COVID-19 and the post-holiday, winter blues. Seasonal affects, such as hibernation and loneliness, can lead to a gloomy outlook and make people feel hopeless. Hospitals and health systems can proactively identify patient needs and offer solutions to avoid increasing uses of opioids and other substances in their communities.