Service and Policy implication of substance use disorders among adolescents in juvenile correctional facilities in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Background.Lack of relevant data has continued to militate against the development of policy and practice toward identification and treatment of alcohol/substance abuse among adolescents coming in contact with the juvenile justice system in Nigeria. This study aims to provide such data, including its policy/practice implications.Methods.One hundred and seventy eight (178) adolescents, who are representative of adolescents within the youth correctional services of Lagos jurisdiction, were interviewed using the alcohol and substance abuse section of the Kiddies’ Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia.Results.The lifetime prevalence rate of abuse of/dependence on any of alcohol or other substances was 22.5% (alcohol, 12.3%; illicit substance, 17.9%). Males were overrepresented among those with any substance use disorder, with gendered prevalence rate as high as 35%. Having had a lived-experience of being a street-child was the single most significant independent factor (Odds ratio (OR), 8.4; p = 0.007) associated with lifetime alcohol substance use disorder.Conclusions.Substance use disorder is highly prevalent among adolescents within the juvenile justice systems in Lagos Nigeria. There is need for deliberate incorporation of alcohol and substance abuse screening and intervention as part of individual care plan in youth correctional facilities in Nigeria. Practical steps toward achieving this were drawn from local reality and international best practices.

Drug use treatment during COVID-19 pandemic: community-based services in Nigeria

“…Even before independence, mental health disorders associated with the abuse of alcohol and other drugs were reported (Lambo, 1960). Since then, studies have reported increased use of a wide variety of drugs among different populations (Atilola et al, 2016;Dumbili, 2020;Gureje et al, 2007;Mechanovic et al, 2020). Results of the nationwide survey conducted in 2017 showed that cannabis (14.4%) is the most commonly used illicit drug in the country followed by opioids (4.7%) and codeine-based cough syrup (2.4%) (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2018).…”

The modules of mental health programs implemented in schools in low- and middle-income countries: findings from a systematic literature review

“…The available literature on the provision of culturally responsive comprehensive CAMH in LMICs is scarce. The available literature indicates that the majority of the ongoing child and adolescent research in LMICs has been aimed at identifying the burden of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral problems; needs related to resources; and the availability of resources for developing and implementing mental health programs in schools [ 6 , 9 , 42 – 45 ]. The scarcity of literature in this field supports the need for further studies that focus on developing culturally responsive mental health intervention programs.…”

The modules of mental health programs implemented in schools in low- and middle-income countries: Findings from a systematic literature review

“…The return on investment of early identi cation and intervention programs, such as SBMHP, has also been recognized [37][38]. These include reducing crime, raising earnings, and promoting education [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49]. For instance, early mental health interventions, especially during adolescence, have been associated with prevention of lifetime disability for most people with mental health disorders [38].…”