Authors : Ajayi, Oluronke Ibiyemi; Sadiku, Idris A.; Akintoyese, Oluwakemi A.; Kolawole, Praise O.; Ajirotutu, Omotayo F.; Akinkunmi, Francis.; Ajayi, Ayodeji O.; Shaba, Augustine A.; Pillot, Gbolahan O.; Olusegun, John O.

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/54nv59y6

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25jun902

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) remain a significant global public health concern, with high relapse rates posing substantial challenges to treatment outcomes. This study examines psychosocial factors, loneliness, perceived stigmatization, and perceived social support as predictors of relapse among SUD patients in Nigeria. Utilizing an ex post facto research design, data were collected from 500 SUD patients through validated instruments measuring loneliness, stigmatization, and social support. The results indicated that loneliness and perceived stigmatization significantly predicted higher relapse rates, aligning with previous research that links these factors to reduced motivation and coping ability. Conversely, perceived social support was found to significantly predict lower relapse rates, highlighting its protective role in fostering recovery. Furthermore, a multiple regression analysis revealed that loneliness, perceived stigmatization, and social support jointly accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in relapse rates among SUD patients. These findings underscore the critical importance of addressing psychosocial factors in SUD treatment programs. Integrating interventions to reduce loneliness and stigma while enhancing social support can significantly improve recovery outcomes. Implications for clinical practice and recommendations for future research are discussed, emphasizing the need for multi-site studies and longitudinal designs to generalize and validate these findings further.

Keywords : Substance Use Disorder, Relapse, Loneliness, Perceived Stigma, Perceived Social Support.

References :

1. Birtel, M. D., Wood, L., & Kempa, N. J. (2017). Stigma and social support in substance abuse: Implications for mental health and well-being. Psychiatry Res., 252, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.psych res.2017.01.097. Epub 2017 Feb 20. PMID: 28237758.
2. Brown, N. B., & Bruce, S. E. (2016). Stigma, career worry, and mental illness symptomatology: Factors influencing treatment-seeking for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers and veterans. Psychol Trauma, 8(3), 276- 283. doi: 10.1037/tra0000082. Epub 2015 Sep 21. PMID: 26390109.
3. Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357. https://doi.org/10.1037/0 033-2909.98.2.310.
4. Crapanzano, K. A., Hammarlund, R., Ahmad, B., Hunsinger, N., & Kullar, R. (2018). The association between perceived stigma and substance use disorder treatment outcomes: A review. Subst Abuse Rehabil., 10, 1-12. doi: 10.2147/SAR.S183252. PMID: 3064 3480; PMCID: PMC6311321.
5. Earnshaw, V. A. (2020). Stigma and substance use disorders: A clinical, research, and advocacy agenda. Am Psychol., 75(9), 1300-1311. doi: 10.1037/a mp0000744. PMID: 33382299; PMCID: PMC 8168446.
6. Edwards, A. C., Lönn, S. L., Karriker-Jaffe, K. J., Sundquist, J., Kendler, K. S., & Sundquist, K. (2017). Time-specific and cumulative effects of exposure to parental externalizing behavior on risk for young adult alcohol use disorder. Addictive Behaviors, 72, 8-13. ISSN 0306-4603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh. 2017.03.002.
7. Eisenberger, N. I., & Lieberman, M. D. (2005). Why It Hurts to Be Left Out: The Neurocognitive Overlap Between Physical and Social Pain. In K. D. Williams, J. P. Forgas, & W. von Hippel (Eds.), The social outcast: Ostracism, social exclusion, rejection, and bullying (pp. 109–127). Psychology Press.
8. Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Prentice-Hall.
9. Gutkind, S., Gorfinkel, L. R., & Hasin, D. S. (2021). Prospective effects of loneliness on frequency of alcohol and marijuana use. Addict Behav., 124, 107115. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107115. PMID: 34543868; PMCID: PMC8511227.
10. Havassy, B. E., Hall, S. M., & Wasserman, D. A. (1991). Social support and relapse: Commonalities among alcoholics, opiate users, and cigarette smokers. Addict Behav., 16(5), 235-246. doi: 10.1016/0306-4603(91)90016-b. PMID: 1663695.
11. Ingram, I., Kelly, P. J., Deane, F. P., Baker, A. L., Goh, M. C. W., Raftery, D. K., & Dingle, G. A. (2020). Loneliness among people with substance use problems: A narrative systematic review. Drug Alcohol Rev., 39(5), 447-483. doi: 10.1111/dar.13064. PMID: 32314504.
12. Khantzian, E. J. (1997). The self-medication hypothesis of substance use disorders: A reconsideration and recent applications. Harv Rev Psychiatry, 4(5), 231-244. doi: 10.3109/1067322 9709030550. PMID: 9385000.
13. Krendl, A. C., & Perry, B. L. (2023). Stigma toward substance dependence: Causes, consequences, and potential interventions. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 24(2), 90-126. https://doi.org/10.117 7/15291006231198193 (Original work published 2023).
14. Krendl, A. C., & Perry, B. L. (2023). Stigma toward substance dependence: Causes, consequences, and potential interventions. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 24(2), 90–126. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/15291006231198193.
15. Kulesza, M., Ramsey, S., Brown, R., & Larimer, M. (2014). Stigma among Individuals with substance use disorders: Does it predict substance use, and does it diminish with treatment? J Addict Behav Ther Rehabil., 3(1), 1000115. doi: 10.4172/2324-9005.1000115. PMID: 25635257; PMCID: PMC4 307942.
16. Lang, B., & Rosenberg, H. (2017). Public perceptions of behavioral and substance addictions. Psychol Addict Behav., 31(1), 79-84. doi: 10.1037/adb0000228. Epub 2016 Nov 28. PMID: 27893214.
17. Link, B. G., Cullen, F. T., Struening, E., Shrout, P. E., & Dohrenwend, B. P. (1989). A modified labeling theory approach to mental disorders: An empirical assessment. American Sociological Review, 54(3), 400–423. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095613.
18. Mariani, J. J., Khantzian, E. J., & Levin, F. R. (2014). The self-medication hypothesis and psychostimulant treatment of cocaine dependence: An update. Am J Addict., 23(2), 189-193. doi: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2 013.12086.x. Epub 2013 Sep 13. PMID: 25187055; PMCID: PMC4227391.
19. Moon, T. J., Mathias, C. W., Mullen, J., Karns-Wright, T. E., Hill-Kapturczak, N., Roache, J. D., & Dougherty, D. M. (2019). The role of social support in motivating reductions in alcohol use: A test of three models of social support in alcohol-impaired drivers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res., 43(1), 123-134. doi: 10.1111/acer.13911. Epub 2018 Nov 15. PMID: 30431660; PMCID: PMC6380519.
20. Nikmanesh, Z., Baluchi, M. H., Pirasteh Motlagh, A.  A. (2016). The role of self-efficacy beliefs and social support on prediction of addiction relapse. Int J High Risk Behav Addict, 6(1), e21209. https://doi.or g/10.5812/ijhrba.21209.
21. Polenick, C. A., Perbix, E. A., Salwi, S. M., Maust, D. T., Birditt, K. S., & Brooks, J. M. (2021). Loneliness during the covid-19 pandemic among older adults with chronic conditions. J Appl Gerontol., 40(8), 804-813. doi: 10.1177/0733464821996527. Epub 2021 Feb 28. PMID: 33641513; PMCID: PMC8238795.
22. Shaarif, A., Usman, B., & Saleem, A. (2025). The effect of perceived social support on recovery success among drug addicts in rehabilitation centers in Pakistan. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 6(1), 133-142. https://doi.org/10.35484/ahss.2025(6-I)12. P-ISSN: 2790-6795. O-ISSN:2790-6809.
23. Warren, J. I., Stein, J. A., & Grella, C. E. (2007). Role of social support and self-efficacy in treatment outcomes among clients with co-occurring disorders. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 89(2-3), 267-274. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.01.009. PMID: 1732 9040; PMCID: PMC2753536.
24. Winter E, & Harris N. (2020). The Impact of Indigenous Identity and Treatment Seeking Intention on the Stigmatization of Substance Use. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 18(5), 1403-1415. DOI: 10.1007/s11469-019-00162-6.