Exploring the Predictors of Substance Use and Psychological Distress in Adolescents from Slum Areas of Dibrugarh, Assam, India

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of substance use and psychological distress amongst adolescents living in the slum areas of Dibrugarh, Assam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 276 adolescents aged 12-19 years from randomly chosen four slums of Dibrugarh of India. This study has utilised two standard questionnaires: the World Health Organization's Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (WHO ASSIST V3.0) for assessing substance use and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for adolescent psychological distress. RESULTS: The prevalence of substance use was found to be 35.8% and 23.9% of participants reported abnormal total difficulty scores. The key determinants included age, gender and family type. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions addressing both substance use and mental health issues in this vulnerable population.