Admissions for drug and alcohol-related problems in Nigerian psychiatric care facilities in one year

In an attempt to highlight the characteristics of patients admitted for drug-related problems in Nigerian psychiatric care facilities in 1 year a detailed retrospective analysis of the case records of all patients admitted to the 13 centres in northern Nigeria and 15 in the South in 1989 was carried out. In 1989, 10,396 admissions were made in these centres (4436 in the North and 5960 in the South). Drug-related admissions accounted for 8.3%, consisting of 10.3% (of 4436) in the North and 6.8% (5960) in the South. Commonly, the patients were multiple drug abusers (especially cannabis/alcohol or heroin/cocaine). In the North the relative frequency at which abuse of drugs was recorded was 77% for cannabis; 19.9% for alcohol; 2.4% for heroin; 1.1% for cocaine; 0.26% for pethidine; 3.5% for amphetamine; and 8.7% for a motley of ill-defined psychostimulants. In the southern centres, the figures were 60.6% for cannabis; 15.6% for alcohol; 40.3% for heroin; and 23.7% for cocaine. Most patients were young males from a low socio-economic background. Whereas patients using cannabis/alcohol were likely to exhibit schizophreniform symptoms, those with heroin/cocaine were most likely brought to hospital by relations because of the social effects of their maladjusted behaviour.