Profile of inhalant users seeking treatment at a de-addiction center in Kashmir

Abstract

Background: As substances of abuse, inhalants are chemicals whose vapors can be intentionally inhaled to produce psychoactive effects. Serious mental health and substance use problems commonly co-occur with inhalant-use disorders (IUDs). Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. All patients attending the outpatient service and inpatient department of the de-addiction center of the institute-seeking treatment for inhalant use were approached for the study. Diagnosis of IUD was made as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 criteria by the consultant psychiatrist. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to record the sociodemographic status. A phenomenology checklist was used to assess the phenomenology. Results: A total of 92 patients were included in our study. Nearly 98.9% of participants were males and 70.5% were of urban background. About 59.8% of participants were educated up to middle classes. The mean age of the study group was 18.38 years. Two-third of our study group were in the age group of 10–19 years. Adhesives were the most predominant inhalant used by 100% of cases. Bagging was the predominant mode of intake of inhalants (83.7%), followed by sniffing (16.3%). Feeling of relaxation (100%) followed by euphoria (73.9%) was the common hedonic experiences, whereas nausea was the most common aversive experience reported by 73.9% of cases. All patients reported high levels of craving. Conclusion: Our results showed that inhalant users were mostly urban male students who were using adhesives as the predominant inhalant. Bagging was the most common mode of intake of inhalants. Policymakers need to develop strategies regarding inhalant-use problem, especially in schools.