Chronic khat use is associated with negative health consequences. However, no study has fully characterized individuals who are khat dependent. This paper examines socio-demographic and psychosocial correlates of adult khat dependence. A total of 270 khat users (129 women) in Yemen completed face-to-face interviews and provided demographic information and data on patterns of khat use, subjectiv...

BACKGROUND Chewing khat leaves is often accompanied by tobacco use. We assessed aspects of tobacco use and explored factors associated with tobacco use patterns (frequency of use per week) among khat chewers who used tobacco only when chewing khat ("simultaneous tobacco and khat users", STKU). METHODS A sample of 204 male khat chewers was recruited during random visits to khat outlets. Data c...

AIMS OF THE STUDY (1) To assess psychological khat dependence and (2) to assess the validity and reliability of the Severity Dependence Scale (Gossop et al., 1995) amended for khat use (SDS-khat), in a sample of UK-resident male adult Yemeni khat chewers. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study using a face to face structured interview schedule was conducted amongst purposively sampled ...

BACKGROUND The chewing of Khat leaves, a natural psychoactive substance is widely chewed in countries of East Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, and is reported to be associated with a range of unfavorable health outcomes including khat dependence. The impact of Khat chewing on Health Related Quality of Life is yet to be explored. AIMS to measure and compare the quality of life of the...

Khat consumption has become a worldwide phenomenon broadening from Eastern Africa and the south west of the Arabian Peninsula to ethnic communities in the rest of the world. So far, the cognitive effects of khat use are poorly understood and no studies have looked into the relation between acute khat use and cognitive control functions, the way we control our thoughts and goal directed behavior...

BACKGROUND Substance use disorders along with neuropsychiatric disorders contributed about 14% of the global burden of disease. Harmful alcohol use, is a known contributor for many harms (accidents, suicide, violence, and complication of other psychiatric and medical disorders). In the Western countries, alcohol and nicotine are gateway drugs to cannabis use, and cannabis use is a risk factor f...

BACKGROUND Khat, a plant native to East Africa, has psychoactive constituents similar to amphetamine. Chronic khat use can lead to psychological dependence with multiple physical and mental health harms, complicating clinical management of people living with HIV. In two Ethiopian cities where khat is common, we evaluated prevalence and correlates of khat use among patients new to HIV care. ME...

BACKGROUND Khat is a green leaf with amphetamine-like effects. It is primarily used among people in Africa, the Middle East and in the diaspora communities from these countries. Prior to the prohibition of khat in the UK on 24 June 2014, there was almost no information available on key aspects of the local khat market. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 using snowball sampl...

BACKGROUND Khat is a psycho-stimulant herb, which has been in use in traditional societies in East Africa and the Middle East over many centuries. Although khat is reported to cause various health problems, what constitutes problematic khat use has never been systematically investigated. This study explored the acceptable and problematic uses of khat from the perspective of users. METHODS The...

BACKGROUND Khat chewing, which has many adverse health and social consequences, is highly prevalent and socially accepted in the Jazan region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS A qualitative study was conducted with 47 adult male former khat users regarding their khat initiation, continuance, and cessation, the amounts of khat they had used, and the health and social consequences of thei...