Health-related quality of life among individuals receiving treatment at a selected drug rehabilitation center, Sri Lanka: a preliminary study

It has been revealed that the quality of life (QOL) of the individuals with substance use disorders decreases as substance use progresses in the absence of appropriate treatment or rehabilitation. The current study aimed to fill the paucity of evidence in Sri Lanka and to further assess the health related QOL among individuals receiving therapeutic Community treatment at a drug rehabilitation center. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out as a preliminary study among 50 individuals who are enrolled in residential treatment. Health-related quality of life was measured using pre-tested EQ- 5D-5L questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and paired sample t test were carried out using IBM SPSS version 26. All participants were male poly drug users. The age of the participants ranged from 19-40 years. The mean treatment duration was 8±5 months. All the QOL dimensions: Mobility (t=2.07, p=0.043), Self-care (t=3.28, p=0.002), Usual activities (t=3.85, p=<0.001), Pain/discomfort (t=4.29, p=<0.001) and Anxiety/ depression (t=4.31, p=<0.001) were significantly improved with the residential rehabilitation treatment when comparing baseline data before enrollment to the treatment. The self-reported mean EQ visual analogue scale score during rehabilitation was 83.56±14.20. As the QOL of the rehabilitees improved, "Therapeutic Community" residential rehabilitation can be recommended as a treatment intervention for individuals in Sri Lanka suffering from drug abuse disorders.