ABSTRACT
The study assessed the perspectives of nurses in Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Nigeria on the effectiveness of substance abuse management. It made use of a descriptive research design. The study was conducted at the Department of Nursing, Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun state, Nigeria. A sample size of hundred nurses was used. This was calculated using thirty percent of the target population (ninety nurses) at ten percent error (ten nurses) to accommodate for attrition rate according to the rule of thumb. A stratified random sampling technique was utilized. Eight of the ten hospital wards were selected at random. Twelve of all the twenty nurses in each of the selected wards were randomly selected. Hundred questionnaires were printed and distributed. The instrument for data collection used for this study was a self-designed questionnaire consisting of closed-ended questions. A hundred percent of distributed questionnaires were retrieved. Data collected were analyzed through the use of tables, followed by interpretation in percentages. Out of hundred nurses, eighty-eight percent (88%) are of the view that people exposed to some types of treatment and remain in them subsequently reduce their use of psychoactive substances and ninety-seven percent (97%) believed treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just drug abuse. Ninety percent (90%) rejected single treatment as effective in managing substance abuse and ninety-three (93%) believed skills learnt through cognitive-behavioural approaches remain with the individual after completion of treatment. It was concluded from the nurses’ viewpoint that individuals should be exposed to some types of substance abuse treatment and remain in it before there can be subsequent reduction of psychoactive substance. Treatment should attend to multiple needs of the individual, not just drug abuse and different approaches should also be employed. It was thereby recommended that addiction treatment should be provided by healthcare professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills and government should pay attention to funding and policy making as regards substance abuse management.
