Influence of Drugs on The Mental Health of Adult Patients in The Ecuadorian South

Abstract

The consumption of illegal substances is considered one of the health problems facing the world today, given the affection they cause in the population, the damage or consequences of their consumption (Observatorio Español de Drogas y Adicciones [OEDA], 2022). The aim of this research is to analyze the current state of some psychological variables (anxiety, depression, stress and self-esteem) in patients hospitalized in therapeutic communities in southern Ecuador after drug use. The study was carried out with a population of 505 patients admitted to these institutions, with a sample of 480 patients representing 95% of the population, selected intentionally by non-probabilistic sampling. The results obtained allow to deepen the current knowledge on drug use and its relationship with anxiety, depression, perceived stress and self-esteem, in a population group that includes patients in early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood; in addition to broadening the vision of the behavioral dynamics of these phenomena. From a practical point of view, these results contribute to the epidemiological surveillance of the mental state of hospitalized patients, as well as to the generation of general and specific intervention proposals on anxiety, depression, stress, and self-esteem through the regulation of drug consumption.