Mistreatment and substance use among final year medical students of a Nigerian university

Abstract

The study determined the prevalence rates of alcohol use, cannabis use and being a victim of mistreatment among final year medical students of the University of Benin, Nigeria. The association between current use of alcohol/cannabis and being a victim of mistreatment were also explored. Seventy-two final year medical students completed a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic variables, questions concerning having been a victim of mistreatment, perpetrators of such mistreatment and a part of World Health Organisation Questionnaire for Student Drug Use Survey. The current prevalence rates of alcohol and cannabis use were 33.3% and 4.2% respectively, while the past year prevalence rates were 58.3% and 9.7% respectively, verbal abuse was commoner than physical abuse and perpetrators were mainly friends/family members, followed by lecturers/trainers. Current use of alcohol was significantly associated with being a victim of physical abuse in the month prior to the study.