Marie Stella Marehin

Title : What about care for addict patients in Gabon?

Abstract:

Gabon has a mental health policy and strategic plan, which have not been implemented to any great extent. It has ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products. An anti-smoking law was enacted in September 2013. However, it has to be said that initiatives to provide care for addicted patients are virtually non-existent in the country. The scarcity of addiction and alcohol treatment facilities with qualified staff is a serious problem. Until now, the treatment of addicts has been essentially psychiatric. This is justified by the lack of appropriate products for the treatment of addictions, including alcohol, tobacco and opiates. This observation would justify the many failures observed in treatment and the recourse to various therapeutic itineraries (Nganga called sorcerer, priest exorcist or Pastor).

Furthermore, while the statistics of the Office Central de Lutte Antidrogue (OCLAD) on seizures of illicit products are on the rise, we deplore the absence of a national epidemiological survey on addictions. We deplore the lack of a national epidemiological survey on addictions. With a view to providing comprehensive and efficient care, it is vital to map out the products consumed, as well as their prevalence in the population. The ESPOIR clinical psychology practice, set up in 2022 and specialising in the care of addicts and patients with psychiatric disorders, is attempting to meet these needs.

The purpose of this presentation is to :
I. To provide an overview of mental health in Gabon and the management of addictive patients.
II. To present the sociodemographic, addictive and psychiatric characteristics of patients followed over a two-year period (January 2022 to January 2024).
III. Highlight the difficulties encountered in the day-to-day care of users.
IV. To recommend and emphasise the urgent need for comprehensive care (medical, psychological and social).
V. Demonstrate how the use of remote medicine can help to train addictology carers.

Biography:

Marie Stella Marehin is a CAMES Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Omar Bongo University in Libreville, Gabon. She holds a doctorate in psychology from the Université Paul-Valery de Montpellier 3. She is a clinical psychologist with a degree from the Institute of Applied Psychology and Sociology (IPSA) at the Université Catholique de l'Ouest, Angers, France. Passionate about addictions, she is currently training in addictology at the University of Montpellier. A recipient of a study grant from the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), she is currently enrolled on a Master 1 in Public Health with an Epidemiology option at the Université des Montagnes (UDM) under the auspices of the AUF and the University of N'Gaoundéré, Bangangté-Cameroon. On her return to Gabon, she set up the ESPOIR clinical psychology practice in 2022, recognised by the Ministry of Health authorities, which takes care of people suffering from addictions, as well as their families and friends. In 2023, it set up the NGO Entraid'Dépendances to carry out prevention and awareness-raising campaigns on the dangers of drug use. Particular emphasis is placed on the day of 9 September, which is dedicated to Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in pregnant women. Depression, financial difficulties, abandonment and a lack of knowledge about the harmful effects of alcohol on the foetus are all factors in this behaviour. Since its inception, actions have been carried out on 10 October, World Mental Health Day. Since addiction is a "mental disorder", the aim is to educate the public so as to avoid the stigmatisation and exclusion of addicts, who are most in need of help. Dr Marie Stella Marehin takes part in awareness-raising days for young people, and training sessions with NGOs, associations and foundations. Addiction is a major focus of her work as a researcher: predictive factors for drug use, the psychological processes involved in addiction in pregnant women, La Covid-19, psychotic and addictive disorders, addiction and return to work, stigmatisation of addicts in the workplace, and so on.