Published Paper Details:

The present paper aims to understand and provide an overview of the psychiatric comorbidities of drug abuse. Early adolescence (12-14 years old) to late adolescence (15-17 years old) is thought to be a critical risk period for the onset of drug abuse. The highest rates of any illicit drug use and related health issues are observed in young people, aged 18 to 25 years with a lifetime prevalence of 42.9%. Young people are more susceptible to drug abuse due to a varied array of personal, micro (family, peers, and schools), and macro (socioeconomic and physical environment) factors that require further research. Additionally, substance abuse is linked to conduct disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. People who have experienced physical or emotional trauma and women with childhood sexual abuse are far more likely to report lifetime use of prescribed psychoactive drugs and illicit drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, antidepressants, etc. Men are more prone to show destructive and impulsive behaviour whereas woman show anxious behaviour under the influence of drugs. Statistics have reported that antisocial personality disorder affects 40-55% of patients who seek treatment for addiction or substance abuse. Research evinces that roughly 21% males and 13% females with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) abuse drugs or alcohol. Escalating figures of drug use warrants an urgent need for rehabilitation and comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluation that would give a deeper insight into the causality and symptoms of the disorder.