{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T15:43:06Z","timestamp":1785426186882,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]],"date-time":"2026-07-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784505600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0Northwest Nigeria is highly vulnerable to climate variability and heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, which exacerbates existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities.\nAim:\u00a0This study aimed to explore the link among climate-induced stress, poverty, and mental health outcomes, particularly substance use as a maladaptive coping mechanism, in this region.\nSetting:\u00a0The study was conducted in Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina in Northwest Nigeria.\nMethods:\u00a0A cross-sectional study was conducted among 20 000 adults aged \u2265 18 years from 40 randomly selected communities. Data were collected using validated instruments: The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), the Coping Strategies Inventory-Short Form (CSI-SF), and a Multidimensional Poverty Index Questionnaire. Robust statistical analyses, including multivariable logistic regression with cluster-robust standard errors, were employed.\nResults:\u00a0The prevalence of high-risk substance use (ASSIST \u2265 27) was 18.5% (n\u00a0= 3700). Cannabis was the most commonly misused substance (12.4%,\u00a0n\u00a0= 2480), followed by prescription opioids (9.1%,\u00a0n\u00a0= 1820) and alcohol (7.8%,\u00a0n\u00a0= 1560). High psychological distress (K10 \u2265 20) was identified in 45.2% (n\u00a0= 9040). Over 85% (n\u00a0= 17 000) were multidimensionally poor. Maladaptive coping strategies were strongly correlated with both poverty (odds ratio [OR]: 3.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.85\u20133.42) and high psychological distress (OR: 4.85, 95% CI: 4.48\u20135.25).\nConclusion:\u00a0This study reveals a concerning syndemic of climate-related stress, profound poverty, poor mental health, and substance use in Northwest Nigeria. Associations suggest substance use may function as a maladaptive coping mechanism in the context of climate-induced economic hardship, though causal inference is limited by the cross-sectional design.\nContribution:\u00a0Findings underscore the critical need for integrated public health interventions that address mental health and substance use disorders within the context of climate adaptation and poverty reduction strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/jphia.v17i1.1665","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T08:00:52Z","timestamp":1784275252000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Climate variability, poverty and substance use disorders: Exploring maladaptive coping mechanisms in climate-stressed communities of Northwest Nigeria"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2386-7956","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdullahi Y.","family":"Abdulwahab","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/019apvn83","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Ahmadu Bello University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-6313-8141","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Summayyah B.","family":"Muhammad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03237y496","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8669-4597","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Audu I.","family":"Aveka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/019apvn83","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Ahmadu Bello University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5980-145X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdulkadir","family":"Surajudeen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/019apvn83","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Ahmadu Bello University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-2451-0973","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sani","family":"Khalid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03237y496","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-9614-4297","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Muhammad","family":"Aliyu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04y52eq55","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-4934-4843","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abusufyan","family":"Attahiru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00g972x47","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-0482-3733","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fahad S.","family":"Abubakar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03237y496","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8741-7527","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bashir A.","family":"Yakasai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03237y496","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Watts N, Amann M, Arnell N, et al. 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