Preferred Modes of Opioids Abuse and their Psycho-Social Determinants among Male Psychiatric Out-Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Facility

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that during last 12 months 6.7 million adults used drug. Route of administration of opioids has important consequences on user’s health outcomes as well as risk of dependence and susceptibility to infection. In particular injection drug users are at heightened risk for HIV and hepatitis C infection and also risk of over dose. The factors that may influence opioids route or change of route administrations include unemployment, insecure source of income, homelessness, school dropout and early start of substance use. OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of preferred mode of opioids administration by drug abusers and the associated socio-demographic factors with mode of drug administration. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was conducted at out-patient facilities of Sir Cowasji Jahangir Institute of Psychiatry (CJIP) Hospital, Hyderabad during Jan-June 2016. Using non-probability consecutive sampling 200 male patients aged between 18-60 years, with history of using opioids for at least last 6 months, were recruited. RESULTS: Median age of the participants was 32 ±9.82 years ranging between 18 to 60 years. The commonest method of opioids administration was inhalation (n=150, 75%) followed by sniffing (n=25, 12.5%) and oral (n=15, 7.5%). The least reported (n=5, 2.5%) route was smoking. Socio-demographic risk factor like not formally educated (87.5%), employed (75%), married (69.23%) and joint family systems (65.38%) were associated with inhalation as a preferred method of opioids use. Among employed participants, n=80 (66.66%) were married and used inhalation as a frequent method of opioids use (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Inhalation was the most common route of opioids use, being employed and married is associated with opioids use by inhalation (p-value 0.001).