Psychological Morbidity among Psychoactive Substance Users in a Rehabilitation Centre in Nigeria
Dada Mobolaji Usman *
Department of Psychiatry, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Lawal Rahman
Department of Psychiatry, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
Ohaeri Jude
Department of Psychiatry, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
Oluwole Lateef
Department of Psychiatry, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Obadeji Adetunji
Department of Psychiatry, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Kumolalo Ferdinand
Department of Psychiatry, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and correlates of anxiety and depression among psychoactive substance users in a rehabilitation centre.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in a rehabilitation centre in Lagos state, Nigeria.
Methodology: All the inhabitants of the centre who agreed to participate in the study were included in the study. However, individuals who had stayed at the centre for less than a week were excluded from the study because the effect of use or withdrawal effects of some of the drugs may mimic depressive or anxiety symptoms. The 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I) (anxiety modules) were used to asses for depression and anxiety disorder respectively.
Results: A total of seventy six people participated in this study. Their ages ranged from 17 to 52 years (mean= 25.9 years SD= 8.4). A high number of the subjects were males (72.4%), single (78.7%) and unemployed (64.5%). Almost all the subjects (92.1%) were introduced to the use of psychoactive substances by friends/peers. Only 4 (5.3%) subjects reported injection drug use (IDU). 53.9% of the subjects had an anxiety disorder. While 68.4% had depression. The factors associated with having anxiety disorder were female sex, older age, being divorced/ separated/widowed, unemployment, multiple substance use, long duration of use of alcohol, cocaine and heroin.
Factors associated with depression included; young age of onset of substance use, female sex, being separated or divorced or widowed, unemployment, long duration/ frequency of use of substances and multiple substance use.
Conclusion: This study has shown that there is a high rate of anxiety and depression among psychoactive substance users.
Keywords: Depression, anxiety disorder, cannabis, morbidity.