title: Prevalence and socio-demographic risk factors associated with psychoactive substance use in psychiatric out-patients of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The co-morbidity of psychoactive substance use and other mental disorders is a major challenge to the management of both conditions in several parts of the world. There is relative dearth of information on co-morbidity and its predictors in Nigeria. This study determined the prevalence and socio-demographic risk factors associated with psychoactive substance use in the psychiatric out-patients of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  From routine clinic visits over a 4-month period, each consecutive 4(th) adult patients (>18 years) who had previously attended the clinic at least for 1 year, completed a socio-demographic and semi-structured drug use questionnaires and interview with the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) to generate substance use diagnosis. Data was analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 16. Level of significance was set at P < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lifetime prevalence for the use of substance was 29.3%, while that for multiple substances was 17.7%. The most commonly used substances were alcohol, cannabis and tobacco and they were also the ones mostly used in combination with one or the other. A total of 10.1% of the patients had a psychoactive substance use disorder. Being male, married with at least primary education and unemployed were significant risk factors for substance use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychoactive substance is common among the psychiatric outpatients of the hospital with males, those with formal education, the married and unemployed being at high risk of substance use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Christopher Izehinosen
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Okpataku
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Helen Ochuko
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Kwanashie
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Janet Ifeakanwa
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ejiofor
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Victor Obiajulu
authors.initials: VO
authors.lastname: Olisah
keywords: Nigeria; outpatients; prevalence; psychoactive; socio-demographic