FACTORS INFLUENCING DRUG ABUSE AMONG STUDENT CLIENTS OF ANKAFUL PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL IN THE CAPE COAST METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this study was to find out the critical factors influencing drug abuse among student clients of Ankaful psychiatric hospital in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Specifically, it to sought find out the causes of drug abuse, types of drugs students’ abuse, effects of drug abuse as well as measures to prevent drug abuse. The study was non-experimental in nature and the descriptive survey design was used to carry out the study. The population comprised all student clients of Ankaful psychiatric hospital. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the 50 students’ clients who participated in the study.Questionnaire was administered to collect data. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations) was employed to analyze the data. The study revealed that an overwhelming majority of the 50 student clients of Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital in the Cape Coast Metropolis involved in the study identified the causes of drug abuse to include their use of drugs to feel accepted by peers, to facilitate their learning, to enable them to relieve unpleasant feelings and emotions, to have divine vision and to attain enlightenment, as well as being forced into drug use by senior colleagues in school. It was recommended that the national drug law and enforcement agency should aim at establishing, maintaining and securing communication to facilitate the rapid exchange of information concerning offences, and improving international co-operation in the suppression of illicit traffic in narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances.