Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment training for Nigerian primary care physicians

Substance use disorder (SUD) poses a significant public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where evidence-based approaches such as Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) are rarely integrated into primary healthcare. In Nigeria, primary care providers often lack substance use prevention training, limiting their ability to identify and manage individuals with risky substance use patterns. This pilot study is the first documented evaluation of structured SBIRT training delivered to physicians within Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, assessing changes in self-reported knowledge, attitudes, delivery self-efficacy, and perceived implementation barriers. A single-group, pre–post pilot study was conducted with primary care physicians selected by the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board. Of 33 enrolled, 25 (76%) completed both baseline and post-training assessments after a two-day train-the-trainer SBIRT course. Baseline data were summarized descriptively, and pre-post changes were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with rank-biserial effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals.At baseline, 9% (3/33) had prior SBIRT training, 79% (26/33) were unaware of validated screening tools, 36% (12/33) believed all SUD cases required referral regardless of severity, and 33% (11/33) viewed SUD as a moral failing. Post-training, significant changes were observed across all self-reported domains (r = 0.45–0.85, p

Brief intervention · Health care · Limiting · Primary care · Public health · Referral · Workload · Health Policy Implementation Science · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

• Stigma among health professionals towards patients with substance use disorders and its consequences for healthcare delivery

  Open Access•Leonieke C van Boekel, Evelien P M Brouwers et al.•Drug and Alcohol Dependence•2013

  Incluir item

• Adapting a substance use screening and brief intervention for peer-delivery and for youth in Kenya

  Open Access•Florence Jaguga, Mary A Ott et al.•SSM - Mental Health•2023

  Incluir item

• A scoping review of substance use brief interventions in Africa

  Open Access•Florence Jaguga, Sarah Kanana Kiburi et al.•PLOS Global Public Health•2024

  Incluir item

• Prevalence and patterns of substance use in West Africa

  Open Access•Godwin Omokhagbo Emmanuel, Folahanmi Tomiwa Akinsolu et al.•PLOS Global Public Health•2024

  Incluir item

• Effectiveness of Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test-Linked Brief Intervention on Harmful and Hazardous Alcohol Use in Nigerian Semirural Communities

  Open Access•Victor Olufolahan Lasebikan, Victor Lasebikan et al.•Frontiers in Psychiatry•2017

  Incluir item

• Community-Based Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment for Unhealthy Tobacco Use

  Open Access•Victor Olufolahan Lasebikan, B Ola et al.•Frontiers in Psychiatry•2016

  Incluir item

• Health Care Utilization After Paraprofessional-administered Substance Use Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment

  Jason Paltzer, D Paul Moberg et al.•Medical Care•2019

  Incluir item