Research view
Title: | Impact of familial risk factors on the severity of addiction in a sample of Egyptian adolescents |
Author: | Shereen A. El-Awady, Eman A. Elsheshtawy, Wafaa A. Elbahaey and Osama A. Elboraie |
Abstract: |
Background
The 20th century ended with the conviction that drug abuse was a global problem,
and thus global solutions were required. Adolescence represents a critical time to
prevent alcohol and other drug use. Early initiation and regular use is often
associated with negative consequences. Research on adolescents focuses
increasingly on features of the family in predicting and preventing substance
use, such as parenting style, parental monitoring, and parental substance use.
Although there is an increasingly alarming phenomenon of drug abuse
demonstrated in the Egyptian community, there has been no study that
estimated the prevalence and risk factors of substance abuse in adolescents in
Egypt recently.
Aim of the work
The current study aimed at exploring the effect of various familial risk factors on the
development and severity of substance use in adolescent Egyptians.
Participants and methods
The current study included two groups: the patient group, which included 100
adolescents (92 male and eight female) from Mansoura, Egypt, between 10 and 19
years of age who were diagnosed as being substance abusers or substance
dependants according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria; and the control group, which
included 100 (86 male and 14 female) age and sex matched participants with no
current psychiatric or neurological disorders. Tools of assessment used were as
follows: Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for children and adolescents
(MINI KID), the Teen Addiction Severity Index (T-ASI) scale, and a scale for
measuring family socioeconomic status for health research in Egypt. Familial
assessment was carried out with Parental Monitoring Questionnaire and
parenting style questionnaire.
Results
The incidence of substance use was higher in male (92%) than in female (8%)
adolescents. The most commonly abused substances were tramadol (97%),
followed by cannabis (94%) and sedatives and hypnotics (38%), and the least
commonly abused substance was anticholinergic (12%). The majority of the studied
addicts were abusing more than one drug (92%). The results of the study indicated
a highly significant difference between substance users and controls on all familial
risk variables.
Conclusion
The substance use disorders are a major health problem among youth, and it is
more prevalent in male sex in Egyptian population. Tramadol dependency is at the
top of all substances abused in Egypt, followed by polysubstances. The findings
highlight how family influences subsequent adolescent substance use.
Keywords:
adolescents, parental monitoring, parenting style, substance use
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Journal: | Egypt J Psychiatr 38:70–78 |
Text: | |
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