Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41438261›Full record

ArticleGlobal mental health (Cambridge, England)2025

A pilot study of alcohol and substance use, mental health symptoms and social vulnerabilities among youth in Nairobi's informal settlements.

Catherine Mawia Musyoka, William Byansi, Teresia Mutavi, Anne Mbwayo, Dorothy Ndunge Kyalo, Angeline Mulwa, Sungseek Moon, Muthoni Mathai

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Global mental health (Cambridge, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Catherine Mawia MusyokaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6669-9860
William ByansiSocial Work, Boston College, USA.
Teresia MutaviDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Anne MbwayoDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4888-2375
Dorothy Ndunge KyaloEducation, University of Nairobi College of Education and External Studies, Kenya.
Angeline MulwaEducation, University of Nairobi College of Education and External Studies, Kenya.
Sungseek MoonDiana R. Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University, USA.
Muthoni MathaiDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Alcohol and Substance Use (ASU) and mental ill-health among youths is today a global public health concern especially among the urban poor. This pilot study examined the prevalence, patterns and mental health associations of ASU among youths in urban slums. Baseline cross-section data were collected from 94 participants aged 15-24 in two informal settlements in Nairobi. Descriptive statistics analyzed demographic, substance use and mental health variables. Bivariate analyses of associations between ASU scores, sociodemographic factors and mental health symptoms were done. Seventy-eight per cent of participants reported having used alcohol in the preceding 3 months, while 68% and 35% respectively reported cannabis and tobacco use. Concerning frequency of use, 43% used alcohol while 47% used cannabis frequently. Alcohol use was associated with age, depressive symptoms and socio-economic independence. Tobacco use was more common among participants with depression, anxiety and low education levels. Cannabis use was higher in participants living independently, with depression, anxiety and stress and in men. In conclusion the study found prevalent ASU associated with multiple sociodemographic and psychological vulnerabilities. These findings may reflect sample characteristics not generalizable to the population, but they provide preliminary evidence for the need of future studies of integrated preventive interventions.

Indexed as

adolescents and young adultsalcohol and substance usedepression and anxietyinformal settlementsmental health

Identifiers

PMID41438261
PMCPMC12720386

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.