Psychoactive substance use disorders among females in northern Nigeria: Findings of a five-year descriptive survey at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri

The aim of this study was to determine a five-year prevalence trend of substance use disorders and the modes of presentaton of female drug users in North-Eastern Nigeria. It was a retrospectve, cross sectonal study in which sociodemographic, clinical and drug-related data of 2,731 clients who were atended to, at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri over a fve year period were extracted from their clinical records. The overall prevalence of psychoactve substance use disorders among the female partcipants was 9.3% [n = 253] with rising rates from 8.2% in 2012 to 12.2% in 2016, and The prevalence trend shows a statstcally signifcant change (χ2 = 51.764, p = < 0.001). One hundred and sixty fve [65.2%, 95% C.I. = 45.81 - 79.45] met the ICD-10 diagnostc criteria for dependence. Codeine-containing cough syrup, 73 [28.8%, 95% C.I. = 22.18 - 42.27], and Tramadol, 41 [16.2%, 95% C.I. = 10.24 - 25.18] were the commonest substances of abuse. Most of them were either compelled by relatves, 103 [40.71, 95% C.I. = 29.46 - 53.17] or were accidentally found to be using drugs at presentaton, 58 [22.92, 95% C.I. = 15.75 - 28.93]. Based on these outcomes, the design and adaptaton of culturally appropriate and gender-specifc educatonal programmes and stgmareducton strategies, are recommended. Keywords: Psychoactve substance use, Females, North-Eastern Nigeria