Exploring the Relationship between Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders on Youths in Bo City

Abstract Substance abuse are serious public health concern. Adolescents who do not receive enough social support are more likely to struggle with mental health issues and turn to drugs. Using secondary data from other journals and the National Drug Survey on youths, the aim of this study was to ascertain whether there was an association between mental health problems, social support, and substance abuse among youths and whether this association varies with age. The study was guided by the relational regulation theory of social support. This study investigated the association among young people with mental health issues and substance use, as well as the relationship between mental health issues and social support. The findings demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between substance use and social support, mental health problems and substance use, and mental health problems and social support. Stakeholders and the government may create targeted interventions by assessing the relationship between youngsters in the Sierra Leone Bo community's mental health issues, substance abuse, and social support. Enhancements in social support could lead to good social change as the government and its partners learn more about the relationship between substance use and mental health issues in young people and social support.