Substance abuse is a multi-etiological, multi-dimensional and a worldwide problem with an alarming increase in its incidences. This study aimed to evaluate the patterns of use of psychoactive substances and to assess the predominant personality traits among the participants. This cross-sectional study used a purposive sampling technique to examined in-patients with substance abuse problem in a psychiatric facility in Maiduguri. One hundred and four (98.1%) males and (1.9%) females with mean age (x) of 31.1 years and SD (± 7.5) participated in the study. The study revealed cigarette (stimulant) as the most current substance of abuse 74.0%, cannabis (hallucinogen) 71.1%, opiates 69.2% and depressants 60.5%. Additionally, 87.5% of the participants used multiple psychoactive substances. Lastly, 90.4% of the participants' scores were above the mean on Neuroticism, 73.1% on Psychoticism and 55.8% on Extraversion measures. High scores on the three dimensions of personality traits (Psychoticism, Extraversion and Neuroticism) have significant associations to psychoactive substance abuse. The study, therefore, recommend the incorporation of personality assessment in the routine work up and management of patients with substance abuse problems.

Background: Being a maladaptive means of coping with stress, alcohol abuse may be associated with level of terrorism in a community. Jos has had a number of terrorists’ attacks which have had devastating effects on the city and its environs. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of terrorism catastrophizing, hazardous alcohol use as well as the relationship between terrorism catastrophizing and hazardous alcohol use among students of the Plateau State Polytechnic, Jos Campus.Methods: A cross sectional study of 230 students in the departments of accountancy, business administration and management who completed self-administered questionnaires during one of their classes following a random cluster sampling of departments.Results: The TCS showed that 43.5% of the participants had terrorism catastrophizing. Pearson correlation showed a high significant positive correlation (p<0.05) across the three dimensions of terrorism catastrophizing: rumination, r=0.807; magnification, r=0.726; and helplessness, r=0.754. However, no significant correlation exists between terrorism catastrophising (rumination, magnification and helplessness), alcohol use disorder, r = -0.016, p = 0.817 (AUDITc), and problem drinking behavior, r= -0.157, p=0.06.Conclusions: There was no positive correlation between terrorism catastrophizing and hazardous alcohol drinking.

Patients with psychoactive substance use disorders (SUD) often have co- occurring medical and mental disorders. This occurs as a result of a number of factors, for instance, drug abuse may facilitate the full expression of a latent psychiatric disorder; mental disorder may lead to SUD (drugs used for self- medication; or both SUD and mental disorders are caused by the same underlying brain deficit such as genetic vulnerability, neurotransmitter abnormality, structural or functional abnormality, and so on. After obtaining ethical clearance, the case notes of all patients who were admitted in the Centre for Addiction Treatment and Research, (CATR) Vom, Plateau state throughout the first quarter of year 2019 were traced. A systematic random sample of every third consecutive patient was selected beginning with the first patient admitted and relevant data were collected and analyzed. A total of fourty- eight (48) in-patients were analyzed. Ninety -four percent (94%) of the patients were males, the mean age of 23.6 + 5 years with 46% being below 25 years of age. Fourty-six percent (46%) had cannabis as their primary drug followed by alcohol (32%) and opioids (28%). Only 1 % had a history of injecting drug use. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of the SUD patients had co-occurring depression, nine percent (8%) had anxiety disorder, and five percent (4%) had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in addition to their substance use disorder. In line with sustainable development goals (SDG) goal 3.5 which seeks to “strengthen prevention and treatment of substance abuse including narcotics drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”; identifying co-occurring mental disorders among patients with substance use disorders is one way of moving closer towards achieving this SDG.

In a treatment facility in Nigeria community meeting has been an effective strategy in substance abuse management for identifying and addressing motivation in the treatment, insight and judgment, self-esteem, psychotic symptoms, readiness for treatment etc. The components of community meeting significantly facilitate effective transition in stages of change. This research utilised information from various meetings, individual interviews and Focus Group Discussion. The study also obtained information about substance use from files of 211 participants previously admitted from 2014 – 2020, descriptive statistics using SPSS version 20 was utilized in the analysis. The analysis show that male were predominant at 91.9% with a mean of 1.08, 24.6% primary substance of abuse is alcohol and the most common substance abused at 29%. Clients admitted with psychotic symptoms were 47.9% and 29% common problematic substance is cannabis and 65% of them are within the ages of 21-30 years, while 45% of them have used other psychoactive substances like opioids and cocaine. The qualitative study reveals that all the components of community meeting significantly contributed positively in the management of clients. Consequently, community meeting gives people experiencing addiction the opportunity to self-examine, express, and adapt to techniques of living a substance free life effectively. This gathering allows all categories of clients interact freely and respectfully given way to teaching, learning and mentoring. The researchers therefore, suggest that though substance abuse problems may not vary, however, the approach to addressing this problem should be tailored in a ways that reflects the people and their culture.

Post traumatic stress disorder is a clinical disorder characterized by emotional and physical symptoms that may occur after exposure to a severely traumatic event. It occurs commonly as a co-morbid diagnosis with substance related disorders, as well as other psychiatric disorders.  We postulated that post traumatic stress disorder may be under- diagnosed in therapeutic wards where substance use disorders are treated. This study thus sought to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed post traumatic stress disorder   in a substance use disorder in-patient population. The posttraumatic stress disorder check list, Civilian version was administered to patients on admission at the Center for addiction treatment and research, Vom, Plateau state, Nigeria in June 2017. Socio-demographic data and information regarding substance use were also obtained from the patients. A total of 38 in-patients were analyzed and 8 (21%) met the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (fourth edition) criteria for current post traumatic stress disorder. None of the patients had a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder   in their case notes prior to the post traumatic stress disorder check list administration in this study. Post traumatic stress disorder which is frequently co-morbid with substance abuse remains undiagnosed in many patients admitted to our therapeutic center.