Mental Health and Substance Use in Uganda: Who's at Risk?

You know how mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can be tough? Well, add to that the challenge of substance use. It's more common among these folks in southwestern Uganda. We checked out 385 patients from June to August 2022. We asked about their alcohol and cannabis use, support system, spiritual beliefs, following their treatment plan, and some personal details. Turns out, being a guy and having a history of using cannabis or alcohol made you more likely to have a substance use problem. But, sticking to your treatment plan actually helped protect against this issue. Isn't that something? So, let's wrap it up. Sticking with your treatment plan can really help if you're dealing with mental health issues and substance use. Maybe we should focus on that more to help these folks out.