SynthesisSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2026
Alcohol use disorder and associated factors among individuals with severe mental illnesses in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a major global contributor to disability and mortality, significantly adding to the overall disease burden. It is particularly prevalent among individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMI), such as bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and major depressive disorder (MDD), and is often accompanied by comorbid psychiatric conditions that further exacerbate its effects. Due to impairments in memory, cognitive control, mood regulation, impulsivity, and emotional stability, individuals with mental health disorders-including schizophrenia and mood disorders-are at an increased risk of developing AUD. This review aims to determine the pooled prevalence of AUD and identify its associated factors among individuals with severe mental illness in Africa.
methodsPrimary studies were systematically retrieved from PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, African Journals Online, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. This review included twenty original research articles that examined the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) among individuals with severe mental illness in Africa. Data extraction and article evaluation were independently performed by two reviewers to ensure accuracy and minimize bias. All studies included in the meta-analysis underwent a rigorous quality assessment, and only those with a score of 5 or higher on the evaluation criteria were incorporated into the final analysis. Given the heterogeneity among the included studies, a random-effects meta-analysis was employed, and potential publication bias was evaluated using Egger's weighted regression test, funnel plots, and trim-and-fill plots. The review protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024535636).
resultsThis review included 20 primary studies encompassing a total of 7,540 participants. The pooled prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) among individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) was 33.26% (95% CI: 26.41-40.12). Factors significantly associated with AUD included male sex (OR = 3.45; 95% CI: 2.13-5.59), younger adults (OR = 3.12; 95% CI: 1.92-5.08), participants reporting current cigarette use (OR = 4.80; 95% CI: 3.03-7.69), and a family history of alcohol use (OR = 3.25; 95% CI: 2.82-4.65).
conclusionThis review reveals that Alcohol Use Disorder is highly prevalent among individuals with severe mental illness in Africa. The findings indicate that being male, younger adults, participants reporting current cigarette use, or having a family history of alcohol use significantly increases the risk of AUD. These results emphasize the importance of incorporating targeted screening, early intervention, and integrated treatment approaches into mental health services to effectively address and reduce the impact of AUD within this population.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41790247What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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 Socratic graph.