Anxiety and depression among drug addicts: A systematic review

Abstract

To comprehensively examine and synthesize existing research on the prevalence and impact of anxiety and depression among individuals with drug addiction. A comprehensive search across four databases identified 1,411 publications. Duplicates were removed using Rayyan QCRI, and relevance screening reduced the selection to 104 full-text articles. After further review, six studies met the inclusion criteria. We included six studies with a total of 2,612 drug addicts, and the majority, 2,051 (78.5%), were males. The findings consistently indicated a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) compared to the general population. Several studies highlighted that the severity of substance use was directly correlated with the severity of anxiety and depression. Environmental and socio-economic factors also played a significant role in the prevalence and intensity of these mental health conditions. The systematic review emphasizes the profound impact of substance use on the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to explore the causal relationships and assess the long-term effectiveness of integrated treatment models. The findings advocate for integrated treatment approaches that address both substance use and mental health issues concurrently.