Economics of Psychostimulant Use Disorder Among Consumers in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines the burden of psychostimulant use disorder among consumers in Ogun State, Nigeria, using three domains: health, public safety/crime, and productivity, from a cross-section of 216 users. It was found that depressants accounted for 66.67%, and sedative-hypnotics accounted for 59.26% of the psychostimulant use among the consumers. Sleep and psychiatric disorder accounted for 16.38 and 15.7% of the total prevalent illness episodes, confirming that mental and behavioural disorders are the major psychostimulant disorders experienced. The highest (14.45%) contributors to the disorder are direct costs, such as inpatient admissions and the cost of medicines. Also, 34.26% of the selected psychostimulant consumers are willing to quit the consumption. The Logit regression shows that the awareness of the risk associated with substance use and early initiation increases the likelihood of their willingness to quit the psychostimulant use. By addressing the socioeconomic and psychosocial drivers of continued use, these measures can significantly increase willingness to quit psychostimulant use.