The phenomenology, socio-demographic, and clinical profile of substance abusers admitted to drug de-addiction unit at eradah and mental health hospital, taif, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Substance abuse has become an increasingly serious socio-medical issue in recent decades. Human health is affected by the socio-cultural environment, which has a direct impact on his psychophysical development and well-being. However, sociocultural factors such as bad habits influence lifestyle and behavior, leading to significant health and social problems for substance abusers. Objective: The present study is to evaluate the phenomenology and socio-demographic characteristics of abusers and compare some of the characteristics randomly. The main objectives of this study are a. To evaluate the socio-demographic profile. b. To find out the pattern of substance use. c. To evaluate the association of phenomenology. d. To find out about substance-related disorders among the substance abuse patients. Materials and methods: There was an observational study conducted in the drug de-addiction unit at Taif, Eradah, and Mental Health Hospital in Saudi Arabia. This study included all substance abusers admitted to the hospital who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study included patients of both genders admitted to the drug de-addiction unit between April 2021 and October 2022. Based on a descriptive statistical analysis, categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: An observational study was conducted for nearly one and a half years. We interviewed 358 substance abuse patients following a systematic sampling procedure in a peaceful, non-threatening environment. Among the 358 substance users, 353 (98.60%) were male and 5 (1.39%) were female. According to the survey, 117 (32.68%) of the participants reported abusing substances during their 31–40 years of age, followed by 102 (28.49%) during their 25 – 30 years of age. The predominant level of substance abuse was among the unemployed 163 (45.53%), followed by students 105 (29.33%). It was found that 58.66% of all respondents had initiated abuse between the ages of 18–24 years of age. Conclusion: In our study, combined substances like amphetamine and cannabis abusers were most prevalent because these are the most popular illicit drugs which are easily available. Islamic culture prohibits alcohol consumption both religiously and legally, making alcohol abuse the least prevalent of all drug addictions.