Assessment of Risk Factors of Relapse in Drug Addicts in Rehabilitation Centers in Peshawar City

Abstract

Objective: To find the common risk factors of relapse in drug addicts after being treated in a rehabilitation center. Materials And Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in four rehabilitation centers, i.e., Da Haq Awaz, Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), and two Dost welfare Foundations in Peshawar City, from October 2019 to August 2021. The non-probability sampling method selected 70 addicts who had undergone single or multiple relapses. The Data was collected using a questionnaire, developed and validated via a structured seven-step process proposed by AMEE guide no. 87, which provides questionnaire development (conduction of literature review, interviews, synthesizing the literature review and development of items) and questionnaire validation (conduction of expert validation; content and face validation, cognitive interviews, and construct validation by pilot study resulting in a Cronbach’s ? = 0.7). Data were analyzed using SPSS-23. Results: A total of 70 drug addicts participated in the study. All of them were males, out of which 78% were adults, 4.3% were elderly and the remaining 17.1% were adolescents. The most common risk factor of relapse was found to be the lack of hobbies, n=32 (45.3%), followed by peer pressure, n=26 (33%), while the least common was economic factors, n=13 (18.6%). Association among variables such as age, peer pressure, family issues, polydrug abuse, lack of hobbies, disturbed sleep, and financial issues was significant p<0.05. Conclusion: Among various risk factors for relapse, polydrug use, withdrawal syndrome, living status, peer pressure, family factors, lack of hobbies, psychiatric disorders, and financial aspects, lack of hobbies is the most common risk factor for relapse in drug addicts who had relapsed and were currently under the care of rehabilitation centers. Keywords: Relapse, Drug Addiction, Substance Use Disorder, Rehabilitation.