PREVALENCE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS ATTENDING PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA,

Abstract

Abstract Background; Substance abuse causes over 480,000 deaths per year worldwide. Drug and substance abuse threatens and tends to damage generations in different ways. In Ethiopia, substance abuse disorder is currently one of the leading non-communicable disorders burden. Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of substance abuse and its associated factors among psychiatric patients attending public hospitals in Addis Ababa. Methods: This study used crossectional study supported by qualitative in-depth interview method. Purposive sampling is used in the selection of the four major public hospitals and random sampling was used to select study subjects. Sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors and clinical information were data were used. Data collected from the patients was checked cleaned, coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. The selected 422 psychiatry patients were interviewed by trained data collectors using semi structured questionnaires from, August1_ 15, 2019. For in-depth interview data from nine study subjects of substance users, none user and health care providers for thematic study were collected using tape recorder and transcribed. Results: About 403 respondents completed the questionnaires making the response rate 95.5% with age ranged from 15 to 87 years with a mean age of 32. 56 (SD = ±11.679 years). Of the total participants 295 (73.2%) were males, 180 (44.7%) were Amhara, 195 (47.4%) were Orthodox, 170 (42.2 %) were never married, 354 (87.8%) were urban resident. Overall prevalence of any substance abuse was 51%. Using the multivariate logistic regression analysis, male than female (AOR = 4.3; 95%CI, 2.5_7.7), Family history of substance use than non users family (AOR= 1.7; 95%CI, 1.1–3.6); Patients from private business compared to government employees (AOR = 3.2; 95%CI, 1.7–7.7) were more likely use substances respectively. Conclusion: There was high prevalence 51 % of substance use among psychiatric patients. On multivariate analysis substance use has significant association in male sex, private business owners, and family history of substance abuse. There is need to improve detection of substance abuse in psychiatry patients and provide integrated management and control. Keywords: substance abuse, psychiatry patients, public hospitals, factors associated, Ethiopia