scholarly journals Substance abuse in patients admitted voluntarily and involuntarily to acute psychiatric wards: a national cross-sectional study

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Opsal ◽  
Øistein Kristensen ◽  
Torleif Ruud ◽  
Tor K. Larsen ◽  
Rolf W. Gråwe ◽  
...  

<p><strong><em>Background</em>:</strong> Substance abuse and mental disorder comorbidity is high among patients admitted to acute psychiatric wards. The aim of the study was to identify this co-occurrence as a reason for involuntary admission and if specific substance use-related diagnoses were associated with such admissions.</p><p><strong><em>Methods</em>:</strong> The study was a part of a multicentre, cross-sectional national study carried out during 2005-2006 within a research network of acute mental health services. Seventy-five percent of Norwegian hospitals providing acute in-patient treatment participated. Substance use was measured using the Clinician Rating Scale and the ICD-10 diagnoses F10-19. Diagnostic assessments were performed by the clinicians during hospital stay.</p><p><em><strong>Results:</strong></em> Overall, 33.2% (n=1,187) of the total patient population (3,506) were abusing alcohol or drugs prior to admission according to the Clinician Rating Scale. No difference in the overall prevalence of substance abuserelated diagnoses between the two groups was found. Overall, 310 (26%) of the admissions, 216 voluntarily and 94 involuntarily admitted patients received a double diagnosis. Frequent comorbid combinations among voluntarily admitted patients were; a combination of alcohol and either mood disorder (40%) or multiple mental disorders (29%). Among involuntarily admitted patients, a combination of poly drug use and schizophrenia was most frequent (47%). Substance abusing patients diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders due to the use of psychoactive stimulant substances had a significantly higher risk of involuntary hospitalization (OR 2.3).</p><p><strong><em>Conclusion</em>:</strong> Nearly one third of substance abusing patients are involuntarily admitted to mental hospitals, in particular stimulant drug use was associated with involuntarily admissions.</p>

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e055181
Author(s):  
Majid Alabdulla ◽  
Shuja Reagu ◽  
Nahid M Elhassan ◽  
Dhanya Shinith ◽  
Saba T Shiekh ◽  
...  

ObjectivesThis study attempts the first in a series of investigations into the misuse of alcohol and substances in Qatar. This study explores the emergency presentations of alcohol and substance abuse to all the state funded emergency departments (EDs) in the country which serve around 90% of the population over a 22-month period. Due to legal penalties for alcohol and substance use, and lack of subsidised community-based facilities, ED presentations are a good starting point to explore this burden.Design and participantsA retrospective population-based, cross-sectional study, analysing electronic patient records of all state funded EDs spanning a period of 22 months, from 1 January 2019 to 31 October 2020 was carried out. The study included all eligible individuals aged 18 or over. Primary reason/diagnosis for presentation containing any of the alcohol or substance use key words were included in the study using composite data capture forms by trained clinicians.ResultsAn overwhelming majority (95.5%) of the total 1495 cases presenting to the EDs with substance abuse were using alcohol. Only 2.1% of the cases were females. Those of Asian (non-Arab) constituted 70% of this group. Qatari citizens presented with highest proportion of substance abuse other than alcohol (23%). Overall, 2.26% of all presentations to the EDs were related to alcohol and substance abuse and this amounted to 3 ED visits per 10 000 of population per year. 56.6% of the cases presented over the weekend. Less than 1% were referred to psychiatry and no other meaningful rehabilitative interventions were offered to others.ConclusionAs Qatar moves towards establishing community-based rehabilitative resources for alcohol and substances abuse, the findings from this study will help in shaping these developments. These can include ED-based routine screening for alcohol abuse and referral to rehabilitation services without fear of legal penalties.


Author(s):  
Chigozie Njoku ◽  
Vivian Oparah

Background: Most drug-substance abusers do have withdrawal symptoms considering the type of drug. Some of the symptoms include: changes in appetite, changes in mood, congestion, seizure, fatigue etc. These symptoms make it difficult for someone to effectively withdraw. It therefore means that for someone to effectively withdraw from drug abuse, there are other factors that must come into play to enhance success. Hence, this study was done to determine the contributing factors to stoppage of drug use among students in university of Port Harcourt’s host communities as an attempt to curb the menace and its effect on students and the entire society at large. Materials and Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in ALUU Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State between August 2019 and December 2019. The study involved 150 volunteers recruited randomly through a multi-staged sampling technique which included secondary school students, undergraduates who are 13yrs and above residing in ALUU community while those who did not give consent were excluded. The data was collected using self-structured close-ended self-administered questionnaires and data analysis done using SPSS version 25.  Results and Discussions: The results of the study showed that the proportion of students that have stopped drug/substance abuse was 7.34%, the most prevalent age group at onset of drug use was 16-18yrs, and 26.42% of students used drugs/substance daily. The most prevalent reason for stopping drug use was personal decision 54.55%, while the least proportion was other reason 9.09%; Family and religious leaders had equal influence (45.45%) in the stoppage of drug/substance use by students. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that the most prevalent reason for stopping drug use was personal decision 54.55%, Family and religious leaders (45.45%) were the major contributing factors and had equal influence in the stoppage of drug/substance use by students.


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
SN Pradhan ◽  
SC Sharma ◽  
MR Shrestha ◽  
S Shrestha

Background: Depressive disorder is frequently found as a comorbidity among patients with substance abuse. Most of the time it is reported as underdiagnosed and a majority of patients go untreated. Many studies have indicated that comorbid depressive symptoms play a major role in the prognosis of substance use disorder and the relapse has been found to be greater in patients who have a comorbid depression. The present study seeks to determine the comorbidity of depression in cases with substance abuse and their sociodemographic characteristics. Objective: The current study is aimed to determine the relationship between various drug abusing patterns and comorbidity of depression with substance use disorders. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The study was carried out in 42 patients, who were consecutively admitted in psychiatric ward of Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital and Punarjeevan Hospital with the diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorder due to use of psychoactive substances, according to ICD-10. The study was carried out from 1st January 2010 to 30th December 2010. All patients were rated using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Results: Among all subjects, 31 (73.8 %) were found to be suffering from Depression among which 19 (45.2%) had mild to moderate depression and 12 (28.6%) had severe depression. Depression was seen among 80% of unemployed subjects, followed by 75% employed subjects and 68.8% students. In method of drug intake, 21 (50%) subjects used oral drugs, 12 (28.6%) subjects used intravenous route and 5 (11.9%) subjects used inhalational drugs. All patients using intravenous drugs were found to have depression. Among drugs abused, 22 (52.4%) patients used multiple substances like alcohol and cannabis, 11 (26.2%) patients used Heroin, 6 (14.3%) patients used drugs like Diazepam, Dextropropoxyphene, Nitrazepam and Promethazine, followed by 3 (7.1%) patients using Buprenorphine. Depression was found in 6 (54.54%) out of 11 subjects who used Heroin followed by 19 (86.63%) out of 22 subjects who were dependent on alcohol, cannabis and other substances. Conclusion: The result showed strong correlation between depressive symptoms and substance abuse, which draws attention to the need of taking into consideration the comorbidity and its management. Clinicians should routinely assess for depression in patients with substance abuse disorders. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jkmc.v1i2.8145 Journal of Kathmandu Medical College, Vol. 1, No. 2, Oct.-Dec., 2012: 96-99


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-75
Author(s):  
Roshan Kumar Roy ◽  
Deepak Kumar Roy ◽  
Rajeh Kumar Goit

Introduction: Substance use among medical students could impact on the conduct, safety and efficiency of future doctors. Despite serious medico legal, ethical and political ramifications, there is paucity of published article on the subject, especially from Nepal. Objective: We aimed to explore the patterns of substance abuse among a sample of Medical students from Nepalgunj Medical College. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of medical students from Nepalgunj Medical College was done using a brief questionnaire schedule to identify current and lifetime use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and abuse of other drugs. An operational definition of substance abuse was made, 28 % of students fell within that criterion. Results: Male substance abusers 81% exceeded female abusers 19%. Substances most commonly abused were alcohol 60%, minor tranquilizers 48%, and tobacco 35%, and only 11% abused cannabis. While most students were multidrug users, there was a low frequency of daily drug use. A general lifetime (occasional use) prevalence of substance use of 56% was found. Drugs consumed on a daily basis were alcohol 2% and tobacco 6%. The prevalence of drug use was highest among the fourth and final year students. Conclusion: The majority of students were occasional abusers; there was no evidence of physical dependence. This study provides a snapshot of the problem of substance use among medical students of Nepal. Further research is needed to study nationwide patterns of substance use among medical students, and to identify important determinants and reinforce preventive measures. Strategies need to be developed for supporting students with a substance use problem.


Author(s):  
Bhavesh B. Prajapati ◽  
Mihir R. Dedun ◽  
Harshdev S. Jalfava ◽  
Aparajita A. Shukla

Background: Substance abuse has emerged as a global phenomenon and prevalent throughout the world in all the cultures. Abuse of alcoholic beverages and tobacco are endemic in many societies, whilst the abuse of other psychoactive substances is growing concern in India. It has major impact on physical, psychological, social and environmental aspect of life.Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out amongst 100 persons attended at Mind Care de-addiction centre, Ahmedabad during the period of 1st January to 28th February 2018 with the help of pretested semi structured questionnaire.Results: Majority of the substance abusers were males (98%) and within the age group of 31 to 45 years (46%). Out of total abusers 28% were graduate and 47% doing skilled work. Majority of study participants were married (47%), belong to joint families (92%) and belongs to socio economic class I and II (50%). Most commonly used drug was alcohol (64%), followed by tobacco (20%), cannabis (12%) and opium (4%). Majority of users started to use it for social reasons (33%) and stress (26%). They got it for the first time from friends in 62% cases and 36% got by themselves. Health related changes were experienced in more than 50% of cases. Out of them, 84% feel improvement after visiting the centre.Conclusions: Drug use pattern is ever changing and has emerged as a global burden as it causes serious public health problems. There is a felt need for the assessment of the evolving trends of substance abuse. And suitable interventions for primary prevention should be considered. 


2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Fals-Stewart ◽  
Timothy J. O’Farrell ◽  
Gary R. Birchler ◽  
James Córdova ◽  
Michelle L. Kelley

Among the various types of couple and family therapies used to treat substance abuse, Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT) has the strongest empirical support for its effectiveness. During the last 3 decades, multiple studies have consistently found participation in BCT by married or cohabiting substance-abusing patients results in significant reductions in substance use, decreased problems related to substance use (e.g., job loss, hospitalization), and improved relationship satisfaction. Recently, investigations exploring other outcomes have found that, compared to traditional individual-based treatments, participation in BCT results in significantly (a) higher reductions in partner violence, (b) greater improvements in psychosocial functioning of children who live with parents who receive the intervention, and (c) better cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness. In addition to providing an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of BCT, methods used with this intervention, and the literature supporting its use, this article also examines the future directions of BCT research for substance abuse.


2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 1241-1249 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Ringen ◽  
T. V. Lagerberg ◽  
A. B. Birkenæs ◽  
J. Engn ◽  
A. Færden ◽  
...  

BackgroundSchizophrenia and bipolar disorder have partly overlapping clinical profiles, which include an over-representation of substance-use behaviour. There are few previous studies directly comparing substance-use patterns in the two disorders. The objective of the present study was to compare the prevalence of substance use in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and investigate possible differences in pattern and frequency of use.MethodA total of 336 patients with schizophrenia or bipolar spectrum disorder from a catchment area-based hospital service were included in a cross-sectional study. In addition to thorough clinical assessments, patients were interviewed about drug-use history, habits and patterns of use. The prevalence and drug-use patterns were compared between groups.ResultsPatients with bipolar disorder had higher rates of alcohol consumption, while schizophrenia patients more often used centrally stimulating substances, had more frequent use of non-alcoholic drugs and more often used more than one non-alcoholic drug. Single use of cannabis was more frequent in bipolar disorder.ConclusionThe present study showed diagnosis-specific patterns of substance use in severe mental disorder. This suggests a need for more disease-specific treatment strategies, and indicates that substance use may be an important factor in studies of overlapping disease mechanisms.


2014 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Siqueira Tufano ◽  
Ricardo Abrantes do Amaral ◽  
Luciana Roberta Donola Cardoso ◽  
André Malbergier

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE:Adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is not a stable condition, but is dynamic, like mental conditions. The aim of this study was to examine whether non-adherence to ART is related to demographic and immunological variables, substance use and presence of depressive symptoms.DESIGN AND SETTING:This was a cross-sectional prevalence study carried out at a public AIDS treatment center in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, between July 2006 and January 2007.METHODS:438 patients on regular ART schedules with recent laboratory tests answered a demographic questionnaire, questions about substance use, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire (SMAQ).RESULTS:The prevalence of non-adherence over the past three months (a pattern of treatment interruption) was 46.3%, and 27.2% also reported this in the past week (a pattern of missed doses). ART interruption was significantly related to older age, lower CD4+ cell count and homosexual/bisexual transmission. The pattern of missed doses was significantly related to younger age, higher HDRS scores and higher viral load of RNA HIV.CONCLUSION:ART interruption may reflect recall errors and changes to the Brazilian demographic characteristics of HIV infection. The missed doses may reflect lifestyle characteristics of younger individuals. Attendance for HIV-positive individuals, particularly younger patients, should involve interventions and counseling in relation to the presence of depressive symptoms.


Author(s):  
C. R. Aniemena ◽  
F. N. Ilika ◽  
P. O. Nwosu ◽  
P. O. Adogu ◽  
E. C. Azuike ◽  
...  

Aim: The use of various substances is very common among the populace. These agents are readily abused by adolescents and youths who are introduced to these substances at an early age in life. This thus leads to abuse and misuse that eventually has a catastrophic outcome to the society at large. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of substance use among in-school and out-of-school adolescents; a comparative analysis in Anambra State, Nigeria. Study Design: This was a cross-sectional comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in schools, parks and markets of Onitsha municipal area of Anambra State, Nigeria, from September 2019-April 2020. Methodology: A total of 250 in-school and 250 out-of-school adolescents aged 10-19 years, within Onitsha municipal area was sampled through the use of a semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire, that was adapted from a WHO designed instrument on drug use among non-student youths. Frequency distributions were developed, while associations between variables were tested using t-test, fisher’s test, and chi-square. Results: The results showed that most participants were males with mean ages of both sexes being 16.7 among the in-school and 16.1 in the out-of-school. There was statistically significant difference in alcohol consumption between in-school compared to out-of-school, p=0.001; and cigarette smoking, p=0.001. However, inhalants use was more among in-school compared to out-of-school, though not statistically significant. The overall prevalence of substance use was 58.4%, with 80.4% among the out-of-school compared to 36.4% with the in-school participants. Conclusion: Substance use is common among in-school and out-of-school adolescents. The prevalence of substance use was significantly higher among out-of-school compared to in-school adolescents. Parents should teach their children the dangers of substance abuse while Schools and governments should ensure inclusion of such in the curriculum.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany Punches ◽  
Kimberly W. Hart ◽  
Christopher J Lindsell ◽  
Raul Mandler ◽  
Katia Delrahim-Howlett ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Understanding the prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) in emergency department (ED) settings could facilitate prevention and treatment responses to the epidemic. However, little information is available on the true prevalence of SUD in the ED population. We characterized 1) methods for determining the prevalence of substance use and SUDs within an ED, and 2) the degree to which prevalence differs between geographically proximate EDs. Methods: This cross-sectional, multi-hospital study analyzed data from prior studies and electronic health records (EHR). Our data sources included 1) interviews of a population-based sample of ED patients, 2) chart review for a cohort of ED patients, and 3) ICD-9 codes from an urban, academic trauma center. In addition, ICD-9 codes were obtained for three geographically proximate hospitals of differing type. The sampling methods and ED settings were compared descriptively in terms of their population characteristics and estimated prevalence of SUDs. Results: Prevalence of SUDs at the urban academic center was extremely high, particularly when measured by prospective survey, but also with chart review. Use over the prior year (binge drinking, illicit drug use, or treatment for alcohol or drug use) as determined by self-report and chart review respectively was: 41.9% and 15.2% for alcohol, 36.2% and 21.6% for drugs, and 59.2% and 30.4% for either. Estimates using ICD-9 codes indicated a far lower prevalence of substance use and suggest differences between EDs. Conclusions: SUDs are highly prevalent in ED populations, though significant variability between EDs is likely. SUDs are infrequently coded, suggesting that clinicians may be unaware of SUDs, or that discharge coding is insufficient to understand and respond to SUDs. Feasible and efficacious methods of identification and documentation of SUDs is an urgent priority to aid efforts to facilitate health services planning and quality improvement, and enable pragmatic clinical trials.


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