Background: Tobacco and arecanut use are commonly seen in patients with psychiatric illnesses. Aim: Assess dependence on arecanut, and the level of awareness of the adverse effects of arecanut use in psychiatric patients. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was performed. The sample comprised 100 newly diagnosed and old follow-up patients of psychiatric illness, aged above 18 years. Patients were recruited to the study by convenience sampling. Socio-demographic pro forma, Betel Quid Dependence Scale (BQDS), and self-designed awareness pro forma were used for data collection. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Version 22 for Windows. Results: Arecanut use was seen in 42% of the total sample. The association between total duration of arecanut use was greater in non-psychotic patients (85%; n = 36; P = 0.027). Patients on the psychotic spectrum used areca nut with tobacco significantly more than the non-psychotic group. Higher quantity of arecanut use, that is, more than three quids/day, was seen in 37.5% of those with psychotic illness, and 13.8% in the non-psychotic illness class. BQDS score indicated that dependence was higher among the psychotic group compared to the non-psychotic group. The highest awareness about harm from arecanut use was seen in people with a degree/diploma level of education. Conclusions: Among psychiatric patients’ substance use, like arecanut, is much higher compared to the general population. Part of the reason for the higher use is a lack of awareness about the adverse effects of arecanut use.
Anupama et al. (Thu,) studied this question.