| dc.description.abstract | The present study estimates the prevalence of lifetime illicit drug use and associated factors among patients with mental illness in Brazil, stratified by gender. A cross-sectional representative sample of psychiatric patients (2,475 individuals) was randomly selected from 11 hospitals and 15 public mental health outpatient clinics (CAPS). Data on self-reported illicit drug use, socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral were obtained through face-to-face interviews. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations with lifetime illicit drug use. The prevalence of any lifetime illicit drug use was 25.4%. Men had higher lifetime prevalence than women for all substances (36.8% and 14.7%, respectively). Being single and having a history of physical and sexual violence was associated with drug use among men only; and not professing a religion was associated with drug use in women only. For both men and women, younger age, lower education, prior hospitalization, having a sexually transmitted disease, alcohol and tobacco use, history of homelessness and incarceration, younger age at sexual debut, and having more sexual partners were statistically associated with illicit drug use. Lifetime illicit drug use among psychiatric patients was higher than among the general Brazilian population and was associated with multiple factors including markers of poor prognosis. Our data indicate the need for the development of gender-based drug-use interventions among psychiatric patients in Brazil. Integration of substance use treatment strategies with mental health treatment should be a priority. | |
