Effect of Substance Use on Depressive Symptoms

• Activity Number: 293 - Contributed Poster Presentations: Social Statistics Section
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Social Statistics Section
• Author(s): Margaret Appiah* and Edmund Essah Ameyaw
• Companies: University of Environment and Sustainable Development and Howard University
• Keywords: Depression; Substance use ; Socio-demographic ; Ghana; Alcohol

Abstract

Depression, which is a mental health disorder, is a major public health concern and contributor to the overall global burden of disease. In this paper, we examined the relationship between substance use and depressive symptoms in Ghana, controlling for socio-demographic factors. We analyzed Ghana Socio-economic Panel Survey, Wave 3 (2018-2019) using Bivariate and Multivariate Logistic Regression models. Tobacco use, alcohol use, marital status and hospitalization had significant association with depressive symptoms. The multivariate analyses showed that respondents who use alcohol occasionally (2.24 times more likely) and those who use alcohol more than once a week or more (2.56 times more likely) had higher odds of depressive symptoms compared with those who did not use alcohol. Increase in age was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms. Compared with males, females were 1.28 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms. In conclusion, of the two substances considered, alcohol use had significant relationship on depressive symptoms. There should be intensification on strategies against depressive symptoms especially against frequent alcohol consumption.