Research Article
Khat (Catha edulis Forsk.) Dependence Potential and Pattern of Use in Saudi Arabia
Table 4
Dependence on Khat and the scoring of modified DAST-10 (1 = yes; no = 0) and its scoring among study sample.
| (a) |
| | Questions of DAST-10 | Number (%) | | Yes | No |
| | Have you used drugs other than those required for medical reasons? | 284 (47.1) | 319 (52.9) | | Do you abuse more than one drug at a time? | 125 (20.8) | 475 (79.2) | | Are you able to stop using Khat when you want to? | 177 (29.5) | 423 (70.5) | | Have you ever had blackouts or flashbacks as a result of Khat use? | 219 (36.4) | 382 (63.4) | | Do you ever feel bad or guilty about Khat use? | 204 (33.8) | 399 (66.2) | | Does your spouse (or parents) ever complain about your involvement with Khat? | 368 (60.9) | 236 (39.1) | | Have you neglected your family because of your use of Khat? | 441 (73.0) | 163 (27.0) | | Have you engaged in illegal activities in order to obtain Khat? | 49 (8.1) | 555 (91.9) | | Have you ever experienced withdrawal symptoms (felt sick) when you stopped taking Khat? | 25 (4.1) | 578 (95.9) | | Have you had medical problems as a result of your Khat use (e.g., memory loss, hepatitis, convulsions, and bleeding)? | 15 (2.5) | 588 (97.5) |
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| (b) |
| | DAST-10 scoring among study sample | | Degree of problems related to drug abuse according to DAST | Suggested action | DAST standard scoring system | % of study sample | ( value) |
| | No problems reported | Encouragement and education | 0-1 | 2.0 |
770.46 (0.00) | | Low level | Risky behavior: feedback and advice | 1-2 | 17.3 | | Moderate level | Harmful behavior: feedback and counseling; possible referral for specialized assessment | 3–5 | 73.6 | | Substantial level | Intensive assessment and referral | 6–10 | 7.1 | | Mean ± SEM | 3.57 ± 0.058 | 100 | |
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