The Association of Family Communication Patterns and School Culture: Addiction Tendencies among High School Students in Yazd, Iran

Various factors, including family associations, school culture, personality traits, and lifestyle play a fundamental role in the development of drug addiction. This study aimed to investigate how the association of family communication patterns and school culture affect addiction tendencies among high school students in Yazd, Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2021. A total number of 420 people were selected using the random multi-stage sampling method. To collect data, addiction tendency scale, family communication pattern and school culture questionnaires were used. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 24, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, descriptive statistics, T-Tests and ANOVA.

The mean±SD for addiction tendency, family communication patterns and school culture was 40.24±7.65, 65.84±5.34, and 45.69±9.24, respectively. This study showed a statistically significant association between the mean score for addiction tendency and gender (P=0.01) and economic status (P=0.02). Among the two components of communication patterns, alignment orientation (R=-0.31, P<0.001) showed a negative association and conformity orientation (R=0.25, P=0.01) showed a significant positive association with addiction tendency. Additionally, all of the three components of school culture, namely, student relations (R=-0.23, P=0.02), student and teacher associations (R=-0.29, P<0.001), and training opportunities (R=-0.20, P=0.03) revealed a significant negative association with addiction tendencies.

According to the results of the study, it is recommended to implement family education programs in counseling centers, health centers and schools. These programs should emphasize the importance of creating a healthy communication pattern based on dialogue and active listening in the family. By promoting positive personality traits, young people can effectively combat their inclination towards drug use and decrease the chances of developing addiction.