Patterns of substance use among internally displaced persons in Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

The activities of Boko Haram in the past eight years have forced over a million people to flee their homes. This has resulted in individuals living in  internally displaced people (IDP) camps and host communities, leading to crises such as psychological disorders and drug abuse. This study investigated patterns of drugs use among these IDPs in Borno State, Nigeria, using a mix method (qualitative, quantitative and observations)  approach. A total of 137 participants comprising of 135 (98.5%) males and 2 (1.5%) females (age range of 16-42 years) were purposively selected. Also, 77 (56.2%) participants were selected in Maiduguri and 60 (43.8%) in Bama. The WHO Youth Drug Survey Questionnaire (WHOYDSQ) was used for data collection. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive techniques; qualitative data were transcribed. The findings of objective 1 showed that a majority of the respondents who reported using rugs did so frequently, using them on > 20 days a month. The findings of Objective 2 indicate that the most commonly used drugs are tobacco product, sniffing or inhaled things to get high, sedatives and cannabis. Objective 3findings showed that friends and family were the major sources of introduction to drug use. Enjoyment, relief from psychological distress, and to be sociable, were the main reasons why IDPs take drugs, consistent with the findings of Objective 4. Objective 5 showed that there are presently no  organizations working in camps and host communities to tackle the problem of drug abuse. The study recommends using psychotherapy and psycho-education as the main interventions to control the serious problem of drug abuse among IDPs.

Keywords: Drug Use, IDPs, Camp, Host Community