Socio-demographic characteristics of substance abusers admitted to a private specialist clinic

Abstract

Substance abuse is an increasing global socio-medical problem. The present study examines fifteen socio-demographic characteristics of abusers and compares some of the characteristics to randomly selected non-substance abusers. The results show that substance abuse is largely a problem of the young/adolescent males (p<0.05). There are significant differences between male and female substance abuses (p<0.05). Some of them seek treatment four to five years from their initial indulgence. About one third of abusers drop out of school at the secondary level of their education (p<0.05). More than half of the parents of abusers are either divorced, separated or never married (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between the abusers and non-abusers with regards to ethnicity or religious affiliation. Other factors, which are positively related to substance abuse, are large number of siblings in the family and crime. Surprisingly, most substance abusers perceive the attitudes of their parents towards them as warm and normal in spite of the emotional and financial stresses they cause to their parents.

Keywords: socio-demographic characteristics, inpatients, substance abuse, private clinic, Accra metropolis.

Ghana Medical Journal Vol. 39(1) 2005: 2-7