A meta-analysis of research conducted on factors affecting disposition to addiction and drug abuse and preventive measures taken over 1991-2013 in Kurdistan Province with a focus on behavioral and social factors

Most studies conducted on drug are sporadic and isolated without having any practical implications. Therefore, there is little room, if any, for the compilation of knowledge-based preventive plans and strategies. As such, the present study aims to provide a systematic understanding of the knowledge and research on factors affecting disposition to addiction and drug abuse and preventive measures taken over 1991-2013 in Kurdistan Province with a focus on behavioral and social factors. To this end, a meta-analysis method was employed. The review of the literature shows that concerning the sociological aspect of the problem, functionalism-structuralism theories such as Durkheim’s theory of labor division and Parsons’ theory of family structure have often been used along with psychological, psychoanalytical, behavioristic, and learning paradigms. This study is an applied research in terms of the goals it follows and a meta-analytic-descriptive research in terms of the method it employs. Besides, it is a cross-sectional research that was conducted in 2013. The research population includes all 8 studies conducted on the research problem. Results show that studies reviewed suffer from the lack of pathology of the problem, clear definitions, disregard for the status quo, and the lack of documentation with regard to the statement of the problem. These studies have made no use of theories or they have employed irrelevant ones. Besides, there is no trace left from the variables manipulated in empirical studies. That’s why there is need for revisiting the research requirements concerning addiction in Kurdistan Province.