Rehabilitation and Societal Reintegration of Substance Abuse Patients in Abuja, Nigeria

Substance abuse remains a pressing global issue, with profound psychosocial implications for individuals and communities. Despite the availability of rehabilitation programs, the reintegration of substance-abuse patients into society continues to pose significant challenges with fewer empirical and scholarly publications in Nigeria and especially in Abuja, This study seeks to document the experiences of rehabilitation and reintegration among substance-abuse patients. Hinged on the Social Learning Theory, the study was cross-sectional in nature and employed a mixed-method to collect data from 141 randomly respondents. The structured was questionnaire was used to elicit information on commonly abused substances, effect of rehabilitation and obstacles affecting the effectiveness of rehabilitation and reintegration. This was complemented with qualitative data and secondary data information. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data which data were content analyzed. Findings from the study revealed a majority (70%) of the respondents are males, half of them are aged 18-35, while 45% have tertiary education. Alcohol and cannabis were the most commonly abused substances among respondents. Furthermore, while a large majority (80%) of participants reported undergoing rehabilitation, the effectiveness of these programs was hindered by limited tailoring to individual needs and insufficient post-rehabilitation support.Reintegration into society was fraught with obstacles, including stigma, difficulty finding employment, and inadequate family and community support. Despite these challenges, 70% of respondents reported some level of community acceptance post-rehabilitation. The study concludes that while rehabilitation services play a pivotal role in recovery, gaps in post-rehabilitation care and societal acceptance impede long-term reintegration. It recommends enhancing rehabilitation programs through personalized care, strengthening post-rehabilitation support systems, addressing stigma through community education, and promoting policy interventions to foster economic and social inclusion for rehabilitated individuals. These efforts are critical in ensuring sustained recovery and successful reintegration into society.