Advanced International Journal for Research

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Volume 7 Issue 5
September-October 2026

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Patterns of Substance Use and Barriers to Support Among Youths in Mbare, Harare: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study

Author(s) Terrence Madziva, Davy Mainde, Jenipher Zulu
Country Zimbabwe
Abstract Background: Young people who use drugs often carry a heavy emotional burden, but little evidence from urban Africa shows how distress relates to daily functioning. Objective: To describe depression, anxiety and social functioning among substance-using youths in Mbare, Harare, Zimbabwe, and to explore how they relate. Method: In an explanatory mixed-methods design, 12 youths aged 15 to 24 years completed the PHQ-9, the GAD-7 and a composite social functioning measure (1 to 5, higher is better). Interview records from eight youths and six key informants helped explain the scores. Results: Mean scores were 16.0 (SD = 4.4) on the PHQ-9 and 14.6 (SD = 3.4) on the GAD-7, and 11 of 12 respondents scored 10 or more on each scale. Mean social functioning was 2.24 (SD = 0.59). Higher depression (r = −.89, 95% CI [−.97, −.66]) and higher anxiety (r = −.90, 95% CI [−.97, −.68]) were strongly associated with poorer functioning. Peer functioning was the strongest domain in the five respondents with domain scores. Interviews described low mood, worry, emotional numbness, loneliness and the use of substances to manage feelings. Conclusions: In this small, non-random sample, screening scores for distress were high and went with poorer social functioning. The results are exploratory and not diagnostic, but they support routine mental health screening in substance use services and questions about substance use in youth mental health services.
Keywords depression; anxiety; social functioning; substance use; youth; Zimbabwe; mixed methods
Field Sociology > Philosophy / Psychology / Religion
Published In Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On 2026-10-28
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E-ISSN 3048-7641
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