Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T10:31:44.034Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The epidemiology of illicit and licit drug use in Greece: a nationwide general population survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

MG Madianos ,
D Gefou-Madianou  and
CN Stefanis
MG Madianos
Affiliation:
Community Mental Health Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens, CMHC Byron Kessariani, 14 Delou Str Kessariani, 16121Athens, Greece
D Gefou-Madianou
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and Social Policy Patneion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece
CN Stefanis
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry Medical School University of Athens, Greece
Get access

Summary

A cross-sectional home survey on the epidemiology of drug use in Greece, with a nationwide general population sample of 4,291 respondents aged 12 to 64, was carried out. The weighted life prevalence of reported illicit drug use in the total sample was found to be 9% among males and 2.5% among females, with a ratio of 3.6: 1. Six and a half percent of males of all ages had used, at some time, licit psychotropic drugs without a doctor's order, while females presented much higher prevalence rates (14.9%). Young adults reported higher rates of both illicit and licit lifetime and past-year use, compared to the other age groups. Illicit drug use was less common, in females of all ages. Cannabis was the most common illicit drug used. Current as well as lifetime use of pain relievers without a doctor's prescription was found to be highest among all other licit substances. This holds true for all age groups and for both sexes. Tranquillizers were predominantly used by females of all ages. Certain sociodemographic variables, such as sex, educational level, marital status, place of residence and occupational status were found to be related to drug use in Greece.

Keywords

prevalencepsychotropic drugscannabiscommunity survey
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , 1995 , pp. 175 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier, Paris 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alevisos, BHatzitaskos, PStefanis, CUse and abuse of tranquillizers in Greece. In: Piotrowski, ALeder, SGawronska, B eds. Alcoholism and Other Dependencies. Warsaw: Polich Psychiatric Assoc, 1989; 20–4Google Scholar
Cohen, JA coefficient of agreement for nomimal scales. Educ Psychol Meas 1960; 20: 36–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corrigan, DDrug abuse in the Republic of Ireland: an overview. Bull Narc 1988; 28: 91–7Google Scholar
Dohrenwend, BPDohrenwend, BSSchwartz-Gould, MLink, BNeugebauer, RMental illness in the United States. Epidemiologic estimates. New York: Praeger, 1980Google Scholar
Ierodiaconou, CSAdolescents mental health and the Greek family: preventive aspects. J Adolesc 1988; 11: 11–19CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobs, BStrittmatter, P. Der schülangstliche schüller. Munich: Urban Schwarzenberg, 1979Google Scholar
Johnston, LDReview of general population surveys of drug abuse. Geneva:WHO Offset Publication, No 52, 1980Google Scholar
Johnston, LDO'Malley, PMIssues of validity and population coverage in student surveys of drug use. In: Rouse, BNKozel, NRichards, L eds. Self report Methods of Estimating Drug Use. Rockville MD: NIDA, 1985; 58–69Google Scholar
Johnston, LDO'Malley, PMBachman, JGNational trends in drug use and related factors among American high school students and young adults. Washington DC: National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1987Google Scholar
Keup, WPleasure — seeking and aetiology of drug dependence. In: Glat, MMMarks, J eds. The Dependence Phenomenon. London: MTP, 1982; 1–20Google Scholar
Kish, LSurvey sampling. New York: J Wiley and sons, 1965Google Scholar
Kokkevi, AStefanis, CThe epidemiology of licit and illicit subsance use among high school students in Greece. Am J Public Health 1991; 81: 48–52CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korczak, DDrug abuse trends among German Youth. Drug Alcohol Depend 1981; 7: 257–264CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madianos, MMadianou, DThe Greek family paradigm: Implications for family therapy. Neurol Psychiatria 1991; 12: 132–8Google Scholar
Madianos, MMadianou, DStefanis, CSymptoms of depression suicidal behaviour and use of substances in Greece: a nationwide general population survey. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1994; 89: 159–66CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madianos, MMadianou, DStefanis, CDrinking practices of illicit and licit drug users in the general population across Greece. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 1994; 20: 547–59CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madianos, MMadianou, DZarnari, OStefanis, CPrevalence of psychosomatic illness in Greece: two nation-wide cross-sectional studies in 1978 and 1984. In: Christodoulou, G eds. Psychosomatic Medicine. New York: Plenum Press, 1987; 173–8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madianos, MStefanis, CChanges in the prevalence of symptoms of depression and depression. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 1992; 27: 211–19CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madianos, MStefanis, CWho needs treatment? A nation-wide psychiatric case identification study. Psychopathology 1992; 25: 212–17CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madianos, MMadianou, DStefanis, CHelp-seeking behaviour for psychiatric disorder from physicians or psychiatrists in Greece. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 1993; 28: 285–91CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madianos, MVlachonikolis, JMadianou, DStefanis, CPrevalence of psychological disorders in Athens area: Prediction of causal factors. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1985; 71: 479–87CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madianou, DMadianos, MStefanis, CPreliminary results of two nation-wide epidemiological studies of drug use in Greece: A study of known cases and a general population survey. Bull Narc 1987; 39: 59–65Google Scholar
Miller-Droitcour, JCisin, I et al. National survey on drug use: main findings 1982. Rock-ville MD: US Department of Health and Human Services NIDA U.S. Government printing Office, 1983Google Scholar
Rootman, IHughes, PHDrug abuse reporting systems. Geneva: WHO Offset publications no 55. World Health Organization, 1980Google Scholar
Smart, RGRecent studies on the validity and reliability of self-reported drug use 1970–1974. Can J Crim Coor 1975; 17: 326–33Google Scholar
Smart, RGAdlaf, EMAlcohol and drug use among Ontario adults in 1984 and changes since 1982. Toronto: ARF, Internal Report. 1984Google Scholar
Smart, RGGoodstadt, MSAlcohol and drug use among Ontario adults: Report of a household survey. Canada's Mental Health 1977; 25: 2–6Google Scholar
Smart, REMurray, GFNarcotic drug abuse in 152 countries: social and economic conditions as predictors. Int J Addict 1985; 20: 737–49CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stefanis, CBallas, CMadianou, DSociocultural and epidemiological aspects of hashish in Greece. In: Rubin, V eds. Cannabis and Culture. The Hague: Mouton, 1975; 303–26Google Scholar
Stefanis, CBallas, CMadianou, DSociocultural aspects of hashish in Greece. In: Stefanis, CDonbush, RFink, M eds. Hashish: Studies of long-term use. New York: Raven Press, 1977; 1–10Google Scholar
Sybling, GThe use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco: results of a survey among young people in the Netherlands aged 15–24 years. Amsterdam: SWOAD Foundation for the Scientific Study of Alcohol and Drug Use, 1984Google Scholar
Tsaoussis, DGreek Social Structure. In: Dimen, MFriedl, ERegional variation in modern Greece and Cyprus: towards a perspective on the ethnography of Greece. New York: Academy of Science vol. 268 of the Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 1976; 429–41Google Scholar
United Nations. Manual on drug abuse assessment. Geneva: Division of Narcotic Drugs, 1982Google Scholar
Whitehead, PSmart, RGValidity and reliability of self-reported drug use. Can J Crim Corr 1972; 14: 104–112Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.