UNRAVELING THE THREAD: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ITS IMPACT ON PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS AMONG A DIVERSE AGE GROUP

Abstract

Background:Substance abuse is a significant public health concern that has profound implications for mental health and psychiatric symptoms. Misuse of drugs, such as alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, opiates, and cannabis, can result in a variety of behavioural and psychological problems, frequently making pre-existing mental health conditions worse or causing the emergence of new ones. Material and Methods: Over the course of six months, we carried out observational research. There were 628 individuals in all, 460 of whom were men (73.24%) and 168 of whom were women (26.75%). The majority of individuals (30.09%) were between the ages of 26 and 35. The intensity of drug misuse and psychiatric symptoms are evaluated using the Addictions for Triage and Evaluation (MATE-en 2.1) Measurements, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21).Results: All age categories had a high prevalence of drug usage (71.33% for alcohol, 67.51% for tobacco, 13.21% for opiates, 27.22% for cannabis, and 72.61% for caffeine). Alcohol has a greater effect on psychiatric disorders than other substances (anxiety: 61.94%, depression: 47.13%, sleep disturbances: 58.12%, hallucinations: 26.91%, and disorientation: 27.07%).Conclusion: This study emphasizes the pervasiveness of substance use across diverse age groups including the detrimental impacts of alcohol, tobacco, opiates, cannabis, and caffeine on mental health. It demonstrates alarmingly high prevalence rates, indicating a pressing public health concern.