Epidemiological Survey on Substance Abuse in Germany 2021 (ESA)

The Epidemiological Survey on Addiction (ESA) is a population-representative study conducted regularly since 1980 to record the use of psychoactive substances and substance-related problems in the German general population. The sample (N=9,046) of German-speaking persons aged 18 to 64 years from private households was drawn disproportionately to the distribution of birth cohorts in a two-stage selection procedure. In the first step, 217 municipalities within Germany were randomly selected. In a second step, addresses were drawn from population registers using systematic random selection. The surveys were conducted by a mix of methods using written and internet-based questionnaires as well as telephone interviews. To compensate for disproportionate selection probabilities, poststratification weights were determined to align the data with the distribution of the population of the Federal Republic of Germany. Data collection took place between May and September 2021 and was conducted by infas Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaft GmbH. The response rate was 35%.<br>The survey covered 30-day, 12-month and lifetime prevalence of use of tobacco (tobacco products as well as shisha, heat-not-burn products and e-cigarettes), alcohol, illicit drugs and medicines. For conventional tobacco products, heat-not-burn products, e-cigarettes, alcohol, selected illicit drugs (cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamines), and medications (painkillers, sleeping pills and sedatives, stimulants, appetite suppressants, antidepressants, neuroleptics, anabolic steroids), additional screening instruments were collected to detect problematic use (indication of dependence) for the period of the last twelve months. The following screening instruments were used: Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) for conventional tobacco products and heat-not-burn products; Pennstate Electronic Dependence Index (PS-ECDI) for e-cigarettes; Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) for alcohol; Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) for cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamines; Brief Drug Use Questionnaire for medications. A range of sociodemographic data, physical and mental health status, psychological disorders, and modules on the main topics of cannabis, unregistered alcohol, and attitudes and motives toward the use of non-opioid painkillers were also collected.

Changes in use patterns compared with the pre-Corona pandemic period in terms of: the number of days per week that shear medications are used and the amount of pain medications per use; Attempt to quit smoking due to the Corona pandemic; Change in the number of days per week that alcohol is used and the amount of alcohol used per typical day of drinking; Change in the number of days per month to use cannabis and the amount of cannabis used per typical day of use.

Physical and mental health status: Related to the last 12 months: self-assessment of health status; self-assessment of mental well-being; chronic illnesses; frequency of physical complaints or pain without clear explanation, anxiety attack / panic attack, frequent worries, strong fears in social situations, strong fears of public places, means of transport or stores, strong fears in various situations, e.g. use of elevators, tunnels, airplanes as well as of heights or thunderstorms, sadness or dejection, loss of interest, tiredness or lack of energy, unusually happy or over-excited. e.g., use of elevators, tunnels, airplanes, and of heights or severe weather, sadness or dejection, loss of interest, fatigue or lack of energy, unusually happy, hyper or irritable, stressful traumatic events, psychiatric, psychological or psychotherapeutic treatment, or mental or psychosomatic diagnosis.

Demography: Sex; age; age groups; year of birth; country of birth; length of residence in Germany (year of immigration); German or other citizenship; other citizenship; country of birth of parents; German or other citizenship of parents and length of residence (year of immigration) of parents in Germany (migration background); mother/father lives/ did not live in Germany; height in centimeters; body weight in kilograms; marital status; living with a partner in the household; number of children; number of children in household; number of persons in household (household size); number of persons in household under 14 years of age; highest general education degree; intended general education degree; highest vocational education degree; employment; group membership if not employed; previously employed full-time or part-time; occupational status; respondent is main earner in household; occupational status of main earner; household net income (categorized).

Additionally coded: running number; sex, year of birth, nationality, and age group according to population registration office; point number; west/east; weighting factors; place size (BIK10 and political municipality size class); ID of municipality per federal state; survey method of interview; baseline sample/supplementary sample; interview year; interview month and interview day; date of completion (day, month); questionnaire completed alone; check questions; respondent cannot/would not answer questions on other citizenship or parents´ other citizenship or did not answer the question.