[Prevalence Of Mental Disorders And Addictive Behaviours Among Artisanal Gold Miners In Burkina Faso].

Abstract

Objectives: The objective was to evaluate mental disorders and addictive behaviours in gold miners treated in the psychiatry department of the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital in Burkina Faso.

Patients and methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, and analytical study with retrospective recruitment of 174 patients over a 10-year period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2020. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software.

Results: The study population was exclusively male and predominantly young, with a mean age of 28.16 +/- 5.79 years. Most patients were single (59.8%) and had a low level of education (58.82%). Acute psychotic disorders (48.85%) and the mental and behavioral disorders related to the use of psychoactive substances (41.38%) were the most common. 78.73% of patients were users of psychoactive substances (PAS). The most used psychoactive substances were tobacco (75.28%), cannabis (62.64%), alcohol (48.27%) and tramadol (32.18%).

Conclusion: The occurrence of mental disorders among gold miners has become a real public health problem in Burkina Faso, given the growing number of gold mining sites throughout the country.