The role of spirituality and religiosity in psychoactive substance use among adolescents in a Nigerian Hospital

Objective: Adolescence is a transition period where drug experimentation is common. Spirituality and religiosity have been recognized by literature as having a possible role in stabilizing good physical and mental health. To compare the religiosity and spirituality among adolescents abusing a psychoactive substance and those not abusing psychoactive substances in a Nigerian hospital Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among adolescent patients admitted to the drug rehabilitation unit and adolescents attending the General Outpatient Department of the ABUAD Multisystem Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale and Centrality of Religiosity Scale were used Results: The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among the respondents was 57.9% and 56.1%. The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among respondents not abusing psychoactive substances was 62.9% and 62.6% respectively, while the level of high spirituality and religiosity among respondents abusing psychoactive substances was 53.0% and 49.1% respectively. A significant proportion of the respondents who had a low level of religiosity (55.9%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (45.7%) (X2=7.694 p=0.006). Similarly, more proportion of respondents who had a low level of spirituality (57.4%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (44.2%). The observation is statistically significant (X2=11.1, p<0.001). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the spirituality and religiosity scores among the respondents (r =0.50, p<0.001) Conclusion: Psychoactive drug use among the respondent was associated with both low religiosity and spirituality. Therefore, religious activities should be encouraged among adolescents.

Psychoactive substance use among Nigerian cohort with HIV/AIDS: frequency, types and demographic correlates

Introduction: There are good pointers from literature to the detrimental impacts of psychoactive substance use in HIV/AIDS patients. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence, types and demographic correlates of psychoactive substance use among people living with HIV/AIDS.Methods: The study participants consisted of 295 adults with HIV/AIDS and were interviewed with a designed questionnaire that consisted of two parts. The first part contained questions to elicit socio-demographic and treatment related information of the participants, while the second part focused on psychoactive substance use.Results: The mean (SD) age of participants was 37.6 (±8.6) years, and majority (61.0%) of them were made up of females. Most of the subjects were married, 181 (61.4%) and employed 174 (59.0%). Of the total participants, 64 (21.7%) reported use of a form of psychoactive substance, among which the largest proportion (19.3%) reported use of alcohol, 1.4% use cannabis while 1% admitted to use of nicotine. Following regression analyses, being male (Odds Ratio =2.38; 95% Confidence Interval: 95% CI = 1.26 - 4.49; p=0.008) and increasing educational attainment (Odds Ratio = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.07 - 2.45; p=0.02) correlated positively with psychoactive substance use, while being single (Odds Ratio = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.35 - 0.99; p=0.047) correlated negatively.Conclusion: Proactive and targeted intervention strategies against psychoactive substance use among people living with HIV/AIDS using what is known about vulnerability are implied. Further research on the complex relationship between HIV/AIDS and psychoactive substance use is indicated

Factors affecting compliance with psychotropic drugs for psychiatric patients: descriptive study

Background: Poor compliance to psychotropic drugs regimens is a major obstacle to the effective care of persons who have chronic mental illness Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the factors affecting compliance with psychotropic drugs for psychiatric patients.Materials and Methods: A hospital-based, cross-sectional study design was carried-out in psychiatric out patient department of Taha Basher Hospital, Khartoum State.Sample: A total of 120 psychiatric patients were included and a purposive sampling technique was used.Data were collected by using face-to-face interview questionnaire.Results: Seventy-one percent of studied patients were non-compliant with psychotropic drugs; compliance was significantly more in male patients (34.3%), single (35, 4%), and literate (33.3%). The major factors affecting compliance with psychotropic drugs and leading to non-compliance were: feeling better (45.0%), followed by high cost of drugs (25.0%), forget fulness and fear from drugs side- effect (24.2% & 23.3%) respectively. Conclusion: Non-compliance with psychotropic drugs was high in psychiatric patients. All efforts should be exerted to improve the compliance of psychiatric patients by eliminating the effects leading to noncompliance

Pattern and Practice of Psychoactive Substance Abuse and Risky Behaviours among Street Children in Cameroon

Background. Cameroon is among other developing countries reported to be facing an increasing problem of street children involved in drug abuse and other harmful behaviours. Although there are some government efforts to intervene; little is known about the extent of psychoactive substance abuse and the related behaviours among street children in Cameroon. The information is critical to support policy formulation and the implementation of interventions to tackle this problem.Objective. To document the pattern and practice of psychoactive substance abuse and the related risky behaviours among street children in three cities in Cameroon.Methods. This study was an analytical cross-sectional survey conducted by the administration of questionnaires to 399 street children who had been homeless for at least a month in three cities of Cameroon during 2015.Results. All 399 participants reported that they were using some psychoactive substance at the time of the survey. The preferred substances were alcohol (45.9%); tobacco (28.8%); volatiles (11.5%) and cannabis (10.3%). Girls were more predisposed to sex work for survival than boys (p0.000); with the majority of the participants reporting to have had unprotected sex after using any drug or consuming alcohol (93.98%). In most cases; the pattern and practice of psychoactive substance abuse were higher in the cities of Douala and Yaounde than in Bamenda. The participants reported that the substances were readily available from street vendors.Conclusion. The results revealed that the level of psychoactive substance abuse is very high among street children; especially boys; in all three cities. Efforts to prevent and rehabilitate street children from abusing psychoactive substances are required. The government; roleplayers; decision-makers; the ministry of trade and industry and all stakeholders

Dream Recall Frequency among Patients in a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic in Ile-Ife; Nigeria

Aim: The aim of this study was to find out if the frequency of dream recall among neuropsychiatric patients on psychotropic drugs was significantly different from that of healthy individuals. Methods: The study was done on 53 neuropsychiatric patients with different diagnoses who were on medication and 144 healthy individuals. The number of participants in each group who recalled their dreams and those who did not were compared and analyzed statistically for any significant difference. Results: Thirty-five out of the 53 neuropsychiatric patients and 133 out of the 144 healthy individuals were able to recall their dreams. A significantly (p 0.001) higher proportion of the healthy individuals compared to neuropsychiatric patients on medications were able to recall their dreams. Conclusions: This study has shown that neuropsychiatric patients on medications may have reduced dream episodes or that their ability to remember their dreams may be impaired. A combination of both factors is not unlikely. Thus, the patients have reduced dream recall frequency (DRF) compared to healthy subjects. There might also be individuals who do not dream.

Prevalence of psychoactive substance use among commercial motorcyclists and its health and social consequences in Zaria, Nigeria

Background: In recent years commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders) have come to bridge the huge public transport gap in most cities across the country. However, this is not without the dangers they pose to themselves, passengers and to other road users. It is claimed that some of these Okada riders operate under the influence of drugs and other substances. But there are few community-based studies that have investigated the problem in this part of Nigeria. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence, health and social consequences of psychoactive substance use among commercial motorcyclists (Okada) in Zaria, northern Nigeria. Method: Multi-stage sampling technique was used to sample commercial motorcyclists registered with commercial motorcyclists union in Zaria city, Kaduna state, Nigeria. Structured, closed ended and interviewer administered questionnaires were used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, factors influencing psychoactive substance use, impact on health status, motor cycle riding experience and work performance. Results: Two hundred commercial motor cyclists were interviewed, majority of them were in the age group 21-25 years (55.5%) with a mean age of 25.4 ± 3.9 years. All the motorcyclists were male, (60.5%), had no formal education, (79.5%) are of Hausa extraction and (69%) worked for more than 10 hours per day. A high prevalence of 59.5% of road traffic accident that was associated with the use of psychoactive drugs was found among the motorcyclists. Commonly identified psychoactive substance/drugs used were: marijuana [Indian hemp] 25.8%, solution 24.5%, caffeine (Kola) 15.8%, and coffee 4.8%. Keeping awake, suppression of fatigue, and peer group effect were the identified factors influencing psychoactive substance use. The commonest types of injuries sustained were bruises and lacerations (62.5%) and fractures of upper and lower limbs (10.5%). Conclusion: Road traffic accidents among commercial motorcyclists are a frequent occurrence in this part of the country. There is need for public awareness campaigns on road safety education and health consequences of psychoactive substance use among commercial motorcyclists. It is further recommended that law enforcement agencies (NAFDAC, NDLEA and FRSC) need to work in tandem so as to curb the problem of substance abuse in our society and reduce the rate of accidents on Nigerian roads

Traitement de la crise vaso-occlusive drepanocytaire grace a l'association Nootropil/voltarene

Dans une etude prospective effectuee sur 102 patients; tous drepanocytaires homozygotes en crise vaso-occlusive; l'administration concomitante du Nootropil a la dose de 100 mg/kg par voie intraveineuse directe lente; et du Voltarene a la dose de 3 mg/kg par voie intramusculaire profonde; a permis d'obtenir un amendement rapide et efficace des douleurs. Le temps moyen necessaire pour obtenir une remission totale des phenomenes hyperalgiques est de 23;1 minutes; avec un point de depart du decompte; le moment de l'injection de deux produits. Cette association tres synergique permet donc d'ameliorer; d'une facon tres remarquable et tres spectaculaire; la prise en charge des sickleniques en crise vaso-occlusive; et autorise un lever precoce des malades

The use of psychotropic drugs in general medical practice

The term psychotropic drugs refers to those drugs which have their primary effect on mental functioning. In other words; drugs made for other purposes; but which can have some adverse effects on mental functioning are not psychotropic drugs. The use of these drugs is of interest because they are commonly available; cheap and (especially the benzodiazepines) doctors tend to use them inappropriately when patients have personal problems