People who use drugs are at a disproportionately higher risk of mental disorders due to prolonged exposure to psychosocial challenges. However, studies on mental health among people who use drugs in resource-constrained countries are scarce. This study sheds light on the prevalence and correlates of psychological distress among people who use drugs in Cambodia. We conducted this cross-sectional study in the capital city and 11 provinces in 2017. The Respondent Driven Sampling method was adapted to recruit 1677 people who used drugs for face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Psychological distress was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). A total score of GHQ-12 > 2 indicated high psychological distress. We performed a multiple logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with psychological distress. We included 1598 participants in the analyses, with a mean age of 28.6 years (SD = 7.8). Of the total, 42% had high psychological distress – 50% in women and 37% in men. The adjusted odds of having high psychological distress were significantly higher among participants who were 25–34 years old and 35 years and above, had been to a drug rehabilitation center, had been insulted by family members, and had been sexually harassed/abused by someone when they were growing up. The odds of having high psychological distress were significantly lower among participants who were male, lived in their own dwelling, reported injecting as the mode of the first drug use, and had someone taking care of them when they got sick. This study documents a high prevalence of psychological distress among people who use drugs in Cambodia. Intervention programs that attempt to address mental health problems among people who use drugs in resource-limited settings should be gender- and age-sensitive and target more marginalized subpopulations. Mental health services can be integrated into HIV and harm-reduction programs for people who use drugs.

中文翻译：

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柬埔寨吸毒人群心理困扰的患病率和社会决定因素

由于长期暴露于社会心理挑战中，使用毒品的人患精神疾病的风险高得多。但是，关于在资源紧张的国家中使用毒品的人中的心理健康的研究很少。这项研究揭示了柬埔寨吸毒人群中心理困扰的患病率及其相关性。我们于2017年在首都和11个省进行了这项横断面研究。采用了“受访者驱动抽样”方法，以使用结构化调查表招募1677人使用毒品进行面对面访谈。使用一般健康状况调查表（GHQ-12）测量心理困扰。GHQ-12的总分> 2表示高度心理困扰。我们进行了多元逻辑回归分析，以确定与心理困扰相关的因素。我们纳入了1598名参与者，平均年龄为28.6岁（SD = 7.8）。在总数中，有42％患有高度心理困扰-女性为50％，男性为37％。在25-34岁和35岁及以上，去过戒毒所，受到家庭成员侮辱以及遭到某人性骚扰/虐待的参与者中，患有高心理困扰的调整后几率明显更高。他们长大的时候。在男性，居住在自己的住所中，报告将注射作为首次吸毒方式并在生病时有人照顾的参与者中，患有高心理困扰的几率要低得多。这项研究记录了柬埔寨吸毒人群心理困扰的普遍性。试图解决在资源有限的环境中使用毒品的人的心理健康问题的干预计划应该对性别和年龄敏感，并针对边缘化的亚人群。可将精神卫生服务纳入吸毒者的艾滋病毒和减少伤害计划。