Published Paper Details:

Background: Drug abuse can be defined as usage of any psychoactive substance including licit and illicit drug. Drug abuse is a very complex phenomenon, which effect physical, psychological, economical, biological, social, cultural, geographical and historical aspects. According to the recent reports from police and other government authorities, In Kerala substance abuse among adolescents is alarming. It may lead to school dropout, social misbehavior, low academic performance and continuation of drug use in adulthood. Objective: The aim of the study was to find out the socio-demographic details and estimate the prevalence of adolescent substance abusers and possible causes from urban private counseling centers in Kerala. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive urban private counseling centers based cross-sectional study conducted among adolescents (12-19 years). Pre-tested, self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Multi stage, Simple random sampling methodology was adopted. A sample of 120 students both from urban private counseling centers was selected. SPSS Version 20 is used for Statistical analysis. Results: The total population of this study is 120 (N=120). The age of the participants varied from 12 to 19. The mean age was Mean=15.55, SD=2.445. In the total 120 population, 107 are male and 13 are female. The mean age of first experience was 14 years. Peer group, friends, family members, parenting style, staying away from homes, were the factors associated with substance abuse. Conclusion: The study has found that high prevalence substance abuse among the adolescents. They need proper treatment services and regular follow-up for reducing the substance abuse.