Pathways to care for substance use treatment among tribal patients at a psychiatric hospital: A comparative study

Abstract Objectives: According to the national mental health survey, substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent in 22.4% of the population above 18 years, whereas the same is 26% among the tribal population. The treatment gap is also high in substance-addictive disorders. Our study aimed to compare the severity of substance use, pathways to psychiatric care, and treatment-seeking behavior among the tribal and non-tribal populations. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary psychiatric teaching institute in India. It