Aug 2026· International journal of humanities and social sciences· 0 citations· 25 references
TL;DR
It was revealed that initiation of substance use was most often in adolescence, and alcohol was the most often used substance, and there was a moderate positive relationship between the age of initiation and the age of participants.
Abstract
Drug use and dependence are prominent health issues of concern to the general population, especially young adults and adolescents. This research analyzed trends of substance use, awareness of drug-related harms, and perceived social factors among individuals with different experiences of addiction and recovery. The survey was carried out in the form of a cross-sectional survey of 22 respondents, and 19 distinct answers were evaluated following data cleaning. Relationships between variables were analyzed with descriptive statistics and inferential tests such as chi-square tests and Spearman correlation. Results revealed that initiation of substance use was most often in adolescence, and alcohol was the most often used substance. The participants tended to indicate a low level of previous knowledge about drug-related harms, and there was no significant correlation between school-based drug education and the level of knowledge. It was noted that there was a significant correlation between perceived peer pressure and the presence of friends who used substances, which indicates the impact of the social settings. Also, there was a moderate positive relationship between the age of initiation and the age of participants. Although the experiences were different, the majority of the participants were of the view that recovery is possible. These results provide support for the significance of the social context and the significance of early intervention, and imply that the existing educational approaches could be improved.
Drug abuse has emerged as one of the most critical social and public health issues of the 21st
century, with youths being disproportionately affected. In Nigeria, rising cases of substance misuse
among adolescents and young adults threaten educational outcomes, health, and national
development. This study, therefore, examined the prevalence, causes, and impact of drug addiction
among youths in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The
population comprised youths between 18 and 40 years, and a total of 150 respondents were
selected from three Local Government Areas using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were
collected with a structured questionnaire, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were
employed for analysis. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used to test the hypotheses at a
0.05 significance level. The findings revealed that while poverty had no significant relationship
with drug addiction, peer influence and unemployment were strongly associated with substance
abuse among youths. The study further showed that many respondents engaged in drug use for
social acceptance, relief from stress, and peer conformity, leading to negative health,
psychological, and academic consequences. Based on the findings, it is recommended that
government and non-governmental organizations intensify preventive education, create skill
acquisition programs, and expand employment opportunities. Stronger policies and monitoring
mechanisms are also needed to control drug distribution channels and safeguard Nigerian youths
from substance abuse.
Adeola Bankole Christiana· INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOC...· 0 citations
Background: The use of social media has become an integral part of the current adolescent’s living, which raises concerns over the psychological health and quality of life (QoL). The addictive use was associated with emotional distress, poor academic achievement, and reduced physical QoL. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of such usage in Saudi Arabian adolescents and to investigate its relationship with the QoL.Methods: A web-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents aged 12-18 at intermediate and secondary schools in Makkah and Riyadh. Data were collected via a self-administered online questionnaire using a snowball sampling method. The survey included sociodemographic variables, pediatric QoL inventory, and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, and Pearson correlation analysis.Results: Of the 689 participants, 31.2% were identified as high-risk or problematic social media users. A strong negative relationship was found between social media addiction and total QoL (r = -0.110, p = 0.004), emotional (r = -0.159, p < 0.001), and school functioning domains (r = -0.077, p = 0.044). Higher addiction scores correlated with lower QoL scores and worse academic performance with higher daily social media use (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Social media poses a problem for nearly a third of adolescents, linked to poorer emotional states and academic performance. These findings highlight the need for awareness campaigns and preventive measures to promote healthy digital behavior and ensure adolescents’ mental and academic well-being.
M. Shatla, Jasser Essa Alnami, Mohammed Khalid Othman et al.· Annals of Middle Eastern Med...· 0 citations
This study used a quantitative research methodology to investigate the role of counseling in
addressing substance dependence among young Nigerians. Substance addiction among young
people in Nigeria is becoming more common, which is a serious public health and social issue
that calls for efficient intervention techniques like counseling. A sample of 300 respondents
provided data for the study, which used a cross-sectional survey design. Of these, 286 valid replies
were examined. Data was gathered using a structured questionnaire, and the Statistical Package
for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the results using both descriptive and
inferential statistics. The results showed that peer pressure, socioeconomic difficulties, and
environmental variables were the main causes of Nigerian youth's high prevalence of substance
misuse. The survey also discovered that there was a discrepancy between awareness and actual
use of counseling services, with access to them being moderate. Crucially, the findings showed
that counseling significantly reduces substance misuse; that is, more counseling results in less
substance use. Regression analysis also revealed that a significant amount of the variation in
substance abuse among respondents was explained by counseling. The study also found that
stigma, expense, and ignorance are major obstacles to the efficient use of counseling services.
Despite their shown efficacy, these factors severely restrict the impact of counseling interventions.
Based on the results, the study comes to the conclusion that counseling is an important and
successful strategy for dealing with substance misuse among young people in Nigeria, but its
effectiveness depends on increased accessibility, social acceptance, and institutional support. In
order to lessen stigma and promote help-seeking behavior, the study suggests increasing
government support for counseling services, integrating counseling into educational systems, and
launching public awareness campaigns. Future research on creative counseling techniques and
long-term intervention outcomes is also recommended by the study.
Esther Ifeoluwa Folorunso· JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRA...· 0 citations
Background: Substance or drug abuse is a significant public health issue, commonly impacts adolescents and young adults of both genders, and is the 4th leading cause of youth- related crime and disability.
Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of psychosocial intervention on the level of motivation and coping strategies among patients with substance use disorder.
Subjects and Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design was adopted among 92 patients with substance use disorder (45 in the experimental group and 47 in the control group), selected using a purposive sampling technique. Pre- and post-tests were done for both groups using the Personal Drug Use Questionnaire SOCRATE 8D & brief cope questionnaire. Psychosocial intervention was given only to the experimental group. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to evaluate the effect using SPSS version 21 at a 0.05 level of significance.
Results: The study results reveal that in the experimental group, 24.4% of subjects had a very high level of motivation, and in post-intervention, it increased to 86.7%, which is very high in comparison to the control group (34%). In response to coping, in the experimental pre-test group, 20% had poor coping, whereas in the control group, 19% had poor coping; after the intervention, all subjects developed good coping in both the experimental and control groups. Hence, it is suggestive that psychosocial intervention has a positive impact on the level of motivation and coping among patients with substance use disorder. The experimental group showed significant enhancements in the level of motivation and coping strategies in comparison to the control group following the intervention. Psychosocial intervention showed statistically significant differences in level of motivation (t (90) = 7.39, p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 1.54) and coping (t(90) = 9.04, p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 1.88), indicating very large effect sizes. No significant association was found between outcome variables and selected socio-demographic characteristics.
Conclusions: The psychosocial intervention was effective in improving motivation and coping strategies among patients with substance use disorders.
Nisha Rani Mahto, Suchismita Pahantasingh, K. Samantaray et al.· AL-Kindy College Medical Jou...· 0 citations
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of childhood trauma of drug users on drug addiction and to verify the mediating effect of depression in their relationships. Through this, we tried to derive practical and policy intervention measures to effectively prevent and cope with drug recurrence of drug users. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, a survey was conducted on 184 drug users who were ordered to take classes at a probation office in Seoul. The collected data were measured using the childhood trauma (CTQ-SF), drug addiction (DAST-10), and depression (CES-D) scale. For data analysis, demographic characteristics were confirmed using the IBM SPSS 24.0 program, and Pearson correlation analysis between major variables was conducted. After that, SPSS PROCESS Macro 4.2 (Model 4) was applied to verify the mediating effect of the mediating variable (depression) in the path of the independent variable (childhood trauma) on the dependent variable (drug addiction). The conclusions and academic implications derived based on the analysis results of this study are as follows. First, childhood trauma was found to have a positive (+) effect that significantly increased the level of depression and drug addiction. Second, it was confirmed that depression had a statistically significant positive (+) effect on drug addiction. Third, it was verified that the partial mediating effect of depression was significant in the relationship between childhood trauma and drug addiction. These results show that when the negative life experience of childhood trauma is not resolved and fixed, it acts as an empirical mechanism to deepen drug addiction through depression beyond simple emotional reactions. In other words, it suggests that there is an urgent need for a practical intervention that can weaken the mediating path of depression in the relationship between childhood trauma and drug addiction. In conclusion, this study has implications in that it provided basic data for clinical, practical, systematic, and policy interventions to reduce depression in drug users with childhood trauma and ultimately prevent recurrence of drug addiction.
J. Cho· Korean Academy Welfare Couns...· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Social media addiction is common among university students and may have consequences for their physical activity. This study examines the relationship between nursing students' social media addiction and both their engagement in physical activity and their perceptions of the benefits and barriers of exercise.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study involved 346 nursing students enrolled at three universities in different regions of Türkiye. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), and the Exercise Benefit/Barrier Scale (EBBS), which measure social media addiction and perceptions of exercise benefits and barriers, respectively. Data were analyzed with t tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and linear regression, with sex, year of study, and body mass index treated as comparison or control variables.
RESULTS
A weak but statistically significant negative correlation was found between social media addiction and exercise benefit perception (r = - 0.188, p < 0.01), and this association persisted after adjusting for age, sex, year of study, and BMI (β = -0.164, p = 0.001). Longer daily social media use was associated with higher addiction scores (heaviest-use group 107.30 ± 35.26; p < 0.001), and students who exercised regularly scored lower than those who did not (p = 0.046). No significant difference in social media addiction was found between female and male students.
CONCLUSION
Because the design is cross-sectional, these findings reflect an association rather than a causal link: higher social media addiction was weakly related to a less favorable perception of exercise benefits. Approaches that encourage physical activity may be worth evaluating in future longitudinal and interventional studies.
Sezer Avcı, Hüseyin Yaşar, Tulay Ortabag· BMC Nursing· 0 citations
