Predicting the Tendency to Opioid Substance Use in Adolescents based on Psychological Distress and Health in the Family

The present research aimed to predict the tendency to opioid substance use in adolescents based on psychological distress and health in the family.

The research method was qualitative-correlational. The statistical population included the students of the city of Bojnourd in the academic year 2022-2023. Among them, 310 people were selected according to the inclusion criteria using a two-stage cluster sampling method. The tools used in this research included the addiction potential scale, the psychological distress scale, and the family-of-origin scale. Pearson's correlation test and stepwise regression were used to analyze the data.

The results showed that the dimensions of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) were positively and significantly related to the tendency to opioid substance use in adolescents, while health in the family was negatively and significantly correlated with the tendency to opioid substance use. The regression results also indicated that depression, health in the family, anxiety, and stress explained 22%, 26%, 27%, and 24% of the variance of the tendency to use opioid substances, respectively. The combined components of these two variables could explain 27% of the variance of the tendency to use opioid substances.

According to the obtained results, psychological distress and health in the family can cause the emergence and continuation of the tendency to opioid substance use in adolescents. As a result, the design of interventions based on improving these characteristics is suggested as a basis for reducing the tendency to use opioid substances in this group of people.