A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Counselling on Level of Awareness Regarding the Ill Effects of Substance Abuse Among Substance Abusers at Selected Setting

Abstract

Background: Substance abuse means the harmful abuse of substance such as alcohol and illicit drugs. Unlimited use of these substances produces the dependence with behavioural, higher mental functioning, physiological changes when abused continuously and repeated strong desire, to ingest substance despite of its harmful consequences. Restoration of the health of the substance abusers mainly dependent on the policies related to alcohol and intervention planned to reduce the pattern of substance abuse. Aim: to assess the effectiveness of counselling on level of awareness regarding ill effects of substance abuse among substance abusers at selected settings. Method: A Quasi experimental time series design was used. Multistage sampling technique was used adopted to select 300 substance abusers (alcoholic abusers), the instrument used for data collection were a structured interview to collect demographic variable. Assessment of level of awareness on ill effects of alcohol abuse was measured by Audit scale. Counselling was given to alcoholic abusers on individual basis for 1 month in session which include psycho education on ill effects of alcoholic abuse, rethinking about drinking and tips to reduce alcohol intake. Assessment of effectiveness of counselling on level of awareness regarding ill effects of substance abuse(alcohol) was measured by SCORATES 8A – personal drinking questionnaire. Result: In pretest, level of awareness regarding ill effects of substance abuse by using AUDIT Scale, majority 113(32.3%) were at risky or hazardous level, 81(27%) were at high risk or harmful level, 71(23.7%) were certainly dependence, 35(11.7%) of them were at low risk level and pretest counselling level of awareness regarding ill effects of substance abuse by Socrates 8A scale, majority 179(59.7%) had low Recognition,112(32.3%) of them had medium Ambivalence, 179(59.7%) had low level of Taking steps towards their drinking behaviour. The posttest 1 counselling level, 143(47.67%) had medium recognition, 127(42.33%) had medium Ambivalence, 168(56%) had medium level of Taking steps. In posttest 2 counselling level, 166(55.33%) had high recognition, 139(46.33%) had medium ambivalence, 160(53.33%) of them taking steps towards reducing the ill effects of alcohol. The overall mean difference between pretest, posttest recognition was F = 136.80, taking steps was F = 107.79 at p<0.001 which was highly significant but at Ambivalence level F = 0.175 which was not significant at p<0.001 level. Conclusion: It is evident that counselling – motivational interviewing was effective in raising the awareness regarding ill effects of substance abuse (alcohol). The overall findings of association of the mean improvement posttest counselling level of awareness regarding ill effects of substance abuse among substance abusers shows statistical significance with demographic variable such as education status at recognition level and occupation at taking steps.