Munpi Mayurakshi Mahanta, V. C. Sekaran, A. Radhakrishna, V. Prabhu, Lena Ashok
tlooto Summary
The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions addressing both substance use and mental health issues in this vulnerable population of adolescents in Dibrugarh.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of substance use and psychological distress amongst adolescents living in the slum areas of Dibrugarh, Assam.
MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 276 adolescents aged 12-19 years from randomly chosen four slums of Dibrugarh of India. This study has utilised two standard questionnaires: the World Health Organization's Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (WHO ASSIST V3.0) for assessing substance use and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for adolescent psychological distress.
RESULTS The prevalence of substance use was found to be 35.8% and 23.9% of participants reported abnormal total difficulty scores. The key determinants included age, gender and family type.
CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions addressing both substance use and mental health issues in this vulnerable population.
Citation format
MAHANTA, Munpi Mayurakshi, et al. Exploring the predictors of substance use and psychological distress in adolescents from slum areas of dibrugarh, assam, india. Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal, 2026, 33 2(2): 187–191.