Psychoactive Substance Use Among Individuals With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: Patterns and Characteristics

Psychoactive substances (PASs) are drugs that affect brain function and alter mood, awareness, thoughts, feelings, or behavior. Studies on PAS use among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) are limited, with a need for recent data, especially for those with chronic SCI. This study aimed to identify patterns of PAS use, including cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants, inhalants, sedatives/sleeping pills, hallucinogens, and opioids, among SCI patients and their relationships with demographic and injury characteristics. The study found that nearly 25% of participants reported nonprescription use of a PAS in the past 3 months, with cannabis being the most frequently reported substance. There were significant differences in PAS use among different groups based on personal characteristics.

• 1
  24.1% of participants reported using at least one PAS without a prescription in the past 3 months.
• 2
  Cannabis was the most frequently reported substance (16.4%), followed by sedatives or sleeping pills (8.0%).
• 3
  Women, those with higher levels of education and income, and nonambulatory individuals with C1–C4 injuries were less likely to report PAS use.