DEPRESSION AS A PREDICTOR OF OPIOID USE DISORDER IN SICKLE CELL DISEASE PATIENTS

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is highly prevalent in Africa, especially in Nigeria, the most populous country, and is associated with a high mortality rate. Depression, common among individuals with SCD, correlates with increased pain intensity and opioid misuse, leading to poorer outcomes and diminished quality of life in these patients.

To determine whether major depressive disorder is a predictor of opioid use disorder among patients with sickle cell disease.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at UDUTH Sokoto and employed psychometric instruments to evaluate patients with SCD. A systematic sampling technique was utilized, and data analyzed using SPSS version 25. Chi-square tests and regression analysis were employed to assess associations and identify predictors, respectively.

The study found statistically significant associations between opioid use disorder (OUD) and the lack of insurance services (p-value = 0.008), major depressive disorder (p-value < 0.001), and elevated pain scores (p-value = 0.003), but not with hemoglobin type (p-value = 0.229). OUD was also more prevalent among respondents with moderate to severe depression (p-value = 0.017). However, only major depressive disorder was identified as a predictor of OUD (AOR: 0.174, 95% CI: 0.067-0.452, p-value < 0.001).

The study identified major depressive disorder as a predictor of among patients with SCD, this underscores the necessity for routine depression screening and timely intervention in this population.