Perceived stress from COVID-19 and consumption of licit drugs in nursing

Abstract

ntroduction:During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing professionals experienced significant levels of stress due to factors such as high workload, constant exposure to the virus, and concern for their own health and that of their families. One way to deal with this stress may be the consumption of legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco. Objective:To identify the association between perceived stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic and alcohol and tobacco consumption in nursing professionals. Method:Descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional study. The sample included 110 nurses from a public hospital of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The participants were selected through a non-probabilistic sampling. A Sociodemographic Data Card, the Perceived Stress Scale during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the AUDIT test, and the Fagerstr \& ouml;m Nicotine Dependence Scale were administered. Results:Perceived stress due to the pandemic was positively and moderately related to alcohol consumption (rs = .428, p < .001), but not with tobacco consumption (p > .05). Conclusion:The findings suggest a possible vulnerability to alcohol consumption in the study population, which requires delving into the topic of mental health, with the goal of contributing to the production of knowledge that guides preventive interventions aimed at nursing professionals