Demographic and Clinical Profile of Substance Abusing Women Seeking Treatment at a De-addiction Center in North India

Overview

Journal Ind Psychiatry J

Date 2014 Jan 25

PMID 24459367

Citations 16

Authors

Naresh Nebhinani

Siddharth Sarkar

Sunil Gupta

Surendra Kumar Mattoo

Debasish Basu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: In the recent decades increasing number of women have been seeking deaddiction services. Despite that the report data is very limited from India.

Objectives: The present research aimed to study the demographic and clinical profile of women seeking deaddiction treatment at a tertiary care center in North India.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective structured chart review of 100 women substance abusers seeking treatment at a deaddiction center between September 1978 and December 2011.

Results: A typical case was of 36.3 years age, married (65%), urban (61%), nuclear family (59%) based housewife (56%), with good to fair social support (69%). The commonest substance of abuse was tobacco (60%), followed by opioids (27%), alcohol (15%), and benzodiazepines (13%). The common reasons for initiation of substance use were to alleviate frustration or stress (49%) and curiosity (37%). Family history of drug dependence (43%), comorbidity (25%), and impairments in health (74%), family (57%), and social domains (56%) were common. Only a third of the sample paid one or more follow visit, and of those 58% were abstinent at the last follow-up. Significant predictors identified were being non-Hindu and higher educational years for abstinent status at follow-up.

Conclusion: The common substances of abuse were tobacco, opioids, and alcohol and benzodiazepines; and family history of drug abuse and comorbidity were common. The follow-up and outcome were generally poor. This profile gives us some clues to address a hidden health problem of the community.

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