Exploring substance use disorders and relapse in Mauritian male addicts

Abstract

Background Substance Use Disorder (SUD) places a heavy burden on societal and health systems given its association with high mortality and morbidity rates worldwide, including Mauritius. Illicit substances act as a positive reinforcement and stimulate addiction through its pleasure-seeking attributes. Aim This study focused on identifying the risk factors leading to SUD among Mauritian male addicts as well as examining the potency of those factors in SUD development. The study also aimed at determining the prevalence of relapse and its causation. Research setting A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of six months using a sample of 180 male addicts registered in a public hospital. A questionnaire investigating dimensions such as risk factors, self-esteem and peer pressure was administered. Findings A high percentage of relapse was noted amongst users within the first year of abstinence. Majority of respondents originated from nuclear or single parents’ family and were deprived of adequate social supports given their marital status. 57.5% of participants had a positive family history of SUD. Cannabis was the most commonly abused substance and 76.2% of the addicts were introduced to drugs through curiosity. Transposing the results against the Gateway Drug Theory showed a constant progression from soft to hard drugs for male addicts, a trend which was consistent with literature. Lastly, a theoretical model was developed based on the strong statistical association found between impulsivity and reduced thought processes prior to relapse; data revealing increased impulsivity which is a common trait in antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder as being largely responsible for relapse. Conclusion The study was successful in bringing out the most common risk factors of SUDs which are linked to low socioeconomic status. The inability of addicts to progress with their rehabilitation given the alarming 92% of relapse was related to social pressure as prime deterrent to successful remission. Programmes involving relapse prevention must implemented in the first year of abstinence to facilitate rehabilitation.

Assessment of addiction management program and predictors of relapse among inpatients of the Psychiatric Institute at Ain Shams University Hospital

“…Although findings revealed that tramadol abuse is more associated with abstinence and multiple drug abuse is in association with relapse, a regression study revealed that the type of drug abused and drug polyconsumption had no significant relationship with relapse, implying that recurrence was unrelated to the number of substances used. This outcome was consistent with Ramo et al 's research [56], the Mauritian study [50], and Chalana et al 's study [27]. These results are inconsistent with the study done in Icyzere, Rowanda, finding that patients with polysubstance use were more likely to relapse than those who only used one substance [53].…”

“…Individuals in this social stratum are frequently subjected to insufficient food, substandard housing, high levels of violence, and poor mental health, all of which may encourage them to use illicit drugs and engage in dangerous behaviors [48,49]. Those were 53% in a Mouritanian study with a significant relation to relapse [50].…”

“…Results of the study are matching with a study which showed that up to 23% and 53% of patients suffering from ASPD and BPD, respectively, are strongly associated to SUD. Other studies revealed that patients with co-morbid personality disorders have a poor prognosis and a higher relapse rate [50].…”

Experience of psychologists in the delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy in a non-western culture for treatment of substance abuse: a qualitative study

“…Similarly, a strong parent-adolescent relationship has been shown to reduce substance use in adolescents [ 24 ]. In contrast, lack of family support resulted in higher relapse among people with SUDs [ 25 ]. However, it is also vital that families must be educated about the difference between support and control, as control could be counterproductive.…”

The Impact of Adolescent Substance Abuse on Family Quality of Life, Marital Satisfaction, and Mental Health in Qatar

“…It is possible that parental problems lead to a reduction in caregiving to the children, which make them more susceptible to peer pressure. Other studies have shown peer pressure is associated with initial substance abuse use as well as substance addiction (Lueck et al, 2020;Meister et al, 2020;Ramsewak et al, 2020;Randhawa et al, 2020).…”