Facility-Based Focus Group Exploration of Psychoactive Substance Use

The abuse of psychoactive substances significantly impacts individual behavior and perception, posing a substantial public health challenge, particularly in psychiatric hospitals, and negatively affecting treatment outcomes.This study employs a facility-based, cross-sectional design utilizing focus group discussions to gain insights into attitudes, beliefs, and practices.The study examined subjects' awareness of substance use, its consequences, and the relationship between psychoactive substance use and academic attainment.The results are as follows: N = 55; 76.4% (n = 44) are male and 23.6% (n = 23) are female.The mean age is 30.87 years with a standard deviation of 8.25.The modal age of onset for substance use is 17 years, with a mean of 18.18 and a standard deviation of 7.58.The presence of mental illness resulting from psychoactive substance use was observed in 58.2% (n = 32) of cases.The educational status of subjects was significantly lower than that of their parents, with Pearson X = 49.8,df = 24, and p = 0.001 with a 95% confidence interval.The majority of participants indicated that they commenced substance use in schools, and the behavior continued despite awareness of the consequences, as evidenced by 94%.Consequently, educational institutions should implement extensive substance use preventive strategies, such as mandatory drug use screening prior to university admission, regular random drug testing within the university premises, and zero tolerance to substanceindulging behaviors.