فصلنامه اعتیاد پژوهی
پیاپی 67 (بهار 1402)

The present research aimed to investigate the effect of psychosocial empowerment on distress tolerance in students with addiction readiness.

The current study was of a semi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the research included all male students of art schools in the city of Chalus in the academic year 2017-2018. Among them, 40 people were selected using random sampling method and randomly divided into two experimental (n=20) and control (n=20) groups. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of the psychosocial empowerment program. The data were collected through the Addiction Readiness Questionnaire and the Distress Tolerance Scale. The data were analyzed by univariate analysis of covariance.

The results showed that psychosocial empowerment had a significant effect on distress tolerance in students with addiction readiness, and significantly caused an increase in distress tolerance in the students in the experimental group compared to the control group.

It can be concluded that psychosocial empowerment plays an important role in increasing distress tolerance in students with readiness addiction and causes to increase distress tolerance in this group of students.

 The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of mobile-based social media addiction in the relationships of sensation seeking and conformity with the tendency to high-risk behaviors (e.g., drug use, smoking, and alcohol consumption) in students.

The present research was descriptive-correlational of structural equation modeling type. The statistical population of this research included all undergraduate students of Poldokhtar Higher Education Center in the academic year 2021-2022. The sample size was determined based on Kline’s rule equal to 225 people, which was selected by the convenience sampling method and an online questionnaire. The instruments used in this research were the Mobile-Based Social Network Addiction Questionnaire, the Iranian Adolescents' Risk-Taking Scale, the Sensation-Seeking Scale, and the Conformity Scale. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling by AMOS-24 software.

The results showed that conformity had a significant direct effect on the tendency to high-risk behaviors and a significant indirect effect via mobile-based social media addiction. Sensation seeking had a significant direct effect on the tendency to high-risk behaviors, but not a significant indirect effect through mobile-based social media addiction. In addition, mobile-based social media addiction had a significant direct effect on the tendency to high-risk behaviors.

According to the results, the increased conformity and sensation-seeking causes a further increase in social media addiction, resulting in increased risky behaviors. Therefore, by reducing conformity and sensation seeking, social media addiction can be reduced, and high-risk behaviors can be prevented in students.

The present research aimed to determine the effectiveness of the unified transdiagnostic treatment on metacognitive beliefs and alexithymia in individuals with substance use in outpatient centers.

The research method was semi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of the research included all men with substance use in outpatient centers of the city of Khorram Abad in 2021. Among them, 18 people were selected using the convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into two experimental (n=9) and control (n=9) groups. Subjects in the experimental group received the unified transdiagnostic treatment in eight 60-minute sessions. To collect data, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Metacognitive Questionnaire were used. The data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test.

The results showed that the unified transdiagnostic treatment had a significant effect on metacognitive beliefs and alexithymia.

Based on the results, it can be said that the unified transdiagnostic treatment can be used to reduce the cognitive and emotional problems of individuals with substance use.

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of family empowerment with short-term solution-oriented therapy in changing the emotional atmosphere of the family and the prevention of addiction in adolescents with substance-dependent parents.

The method of the present study was semi-experimental with a pretest-posttest and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population of this research consisted of adolescents with substance-dependent parents referring to drug addiction treatment centers in the city of Tabriz in fall 2021. Among them, 30 people were selected using the convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of short-term solution-oriented therapy weekly, while the control group received no intervention. Research data were collected in three stages of pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up using the family emotional atmosphere questionnaire and the addiction tendency scale, and were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance.

The results showed that family empowerment was effective in changing the family emotional atmosphere and the prevention of addiction in adolescents with substance-dependent parents, and this effect was stable in the three-month follow-up.

According to the results of the present research, it can be concluded that family empowerment with short-term solution-oriented therapy is among the effective treatments for the family emotional atmosphere and the prevention of addiction.

The present research aimed to study the causes and contexts of substance use disorder among the students in the city of Tabriz.

The method of this research was qualitative and of grounded theory type. The statistical population of this research included specialists in the fields of psychology, sociology and social pathology, and school counselors, 35 of whom were selected by purposive sampling method. The data collection tool was an in-depth and semi-structured interview. Simultaneously with the data collection, coding and analyzing were performed in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding.

The results showed that the interaction of structural factors and activism (the effectiveness of virtual space, weak social capital, transformation of lifestyle, and a sense of curiosity) were causal conditions; the category of policy-making obstacles with the sub-categories of the effect of the educational system and the lack of vitality and happiness platforms were background conditions; the categories of lifestyle based on means of communication (lack of programs with the young in the media and the impact of technology) were intervening conditions; and the categories of social acceptance (intimate family relations) and improvement of school performance (improvement of school social order) were consequences of substance use disorder.

The analysis of participants' interviews introduces the establishment of life and social skills (improving family social capital and teaching life skills) and society-based prevention (community-oriented prevention and growth-oriented prevention) as strategies to prevent substance use disorder in students. The essential theory resulting from the experts' interviews is prevention based on alternative methods together with the family.

The present research aimed to determine the mediating role of academic avoidance in the relationship between school security and addiction readiness.

The method of the present research was descriptive-correlational of the structural equation modeling type. The statistical population of the research included all male students of the second secondary school in the city of Khorram Abad in the academic year 2022-2023. Among them, 200 people were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method. To collect the data, the School Security Questionnaire, the Academic Avoidance Scale, and the Addiction Readiness Scale. The structural equation modeling method was used to analyze the research model.

The results showed that the school security variable had a significant and negative direct effect on addiction readiness. In addition, academic avoidance significantly mediated the relationship between school security and addiction readiness.

In a secure school, students can be emotionally and physically safe, and there is mutual respect and trust between school members, while violence, fighting, mugging, crime, academic avoidance, and substance use are seen in insecure schools. Therefore, it is suggested to minimize the tensions by providing a secure environment at school and to increase the positive interactions between the students and the worry-free interaction of the students with the school staff in such a way that the ground is provided to reduce academic avoidance, the result of which can be reduced addiction readiness.

The present research aimed to compare the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy and emotion regulation training on cognitive flexibility and the feeling of loneliness in substance-dependent individuals self-referring to the Welfare Organization. 

The research method was semi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of the research included all substance-dependent individuals self-referring to the Welfare Organization in the city of Shiraz in 2021, of which 45 people were selected by the convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two experimental and one control groups. The Cognitive Flexibility Inventory and the Loneliness Scale were used to collect the data. One experimental group received compassion-focused therapy and another experimental group received emotion regulation training once a week as a group for eight 90-minute sessions, but the control group received no intervention. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance. 

The results showed that the difference between the experimental groups and the control group was significant in both approaches, and compassion-focused therapy had a greater effect on reducing the feeling of loneliness compared to emotion regulation training. On the other hand, emotion regulation training had a greater effect on increasing cognitive flexibility compared to compassion-focused therapy. 

 Based on the findings, it can be concluded that individuals with drug addiction can achieve more cognitive flexibility and experience less loneliness by learning the techniques based on emotion regulation and compassion-focused therapy. In addition, compassion-focused therapy is more effective in increasing cognitive flexibility and emotion regulation training is also more effective in reducing the feeling of loneliness in substance-dependent individuals.

The present research aimed to investigate the sports facilities available in addiction treatment and rehabilitation centers in the country and the therapists’ views on the effect of exercise in improving the addiction treatment process.

This research was of a descriptive-survey type. The statistical population of the present research included addiction treatment centers, among which 363 centers were selected using the convenience sampling method. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire.

According to the research findings, although all therapists in the addiction field believe that sports, particularly warm-up exercises, improves the conditions of recovery and stabilization of treatment, the conditions for combining treatment protocols with various sports methods were not practically available, and these centers did not perform effectively in this field.

It is necessary to design standard sports exercises and activities to complement the treatment, and these two important things depend on modifying and increasing the training of the treatment and rehabilitation centers’ therapists and changing the strategies of the decision-making bodies, particularly the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the Ministry of Interior (Social Council), and the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education under the leadership of the Presidential Anti-Narcotics Headquarters.

The present research aimed to explain the formation process of marital infidelity in women with substance-dependent spouses.

The method of this research was qualitative of the grounded theory type. The statistical population of the current research included women with substance-dependent spouses in the city of Qorveh, 18 of whom were selected by snowball sampling method. The data collection tool was an in-depth semi-structured interview. Simultaneously with data collection, coding and analyzing were performed in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding.

The identified and extracted factors affecting the formation of marital infidelity in women with substance-dependent spouses included: a) Underlying factors, including individual, psychological, and interpersonal factors, b) Revealing factors, including family and risk factors, c) Perpetuating factors, including social, cultural, and environmental factors, and d) Aggravating factors, including emotional and sexual factors. In addition, the strategies included intervention in individual, family, social, environmental, cultural, interpersonal, communication, and intervention factors.

Several factors contribute to the formation of marital infidelity in women with substance-dependent spouses, and by identifying them in different environments, cultures, and societies, effective measures can be taken to reduce marital infidelity and even prevent addiction, and public awareness can be created.

The present research was conducted to investigate the roles of perceived social support and anger in predicting adolescents' addiction tendency.

The research method was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of the research included all secondary school students in the city of Shahreza. Among them, 200 people were selected using the convenience sampling method. The participants responded to the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Children's Anger Inventory, and the Addiction Potential Scale. Pearson's correlation and stepwise regression were used to analyze the data.

The results showed a significant and positive relationship between anger and addiction tendency, as well as a negative and significant relationship between perceived social support and addiction tendency. The regression results also indicated that perceived social support and anger simultaneously could predict 48% of the variance of adolescents' addiction tendency significantly.

Based on the results of this research, increasing anger and decreasing perceived social support are important factors in adolescents' addiction tendency.

The present research aimed to explore the semantic system of drug-using women regarding the obstacles to drug dependence treatment and short-lived treatment.

The method of this research was qualitative of grounded theory type. The statistical population of the current research included drug-using women in the city of Kermanshah, 15 of whom were recruited using the purposive sampling method. An in-depth and semi-structured interview was used to collect the data. Simultaneously with the data collection, coding and analyzing were performed in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding.

Three main categories, including lack of formal support, lack of a treatment service development platform, and fear of difficult life events were obtained, and main categories constituted of 16 sub-categories, including lack of child care plan, normalization of pregnancy services, limited mobility, inflexibility of treatment plans, limited capacity of the centers, intolerance of interruptions, interactional separation, lack of education, lack of decision-making power, limited awareness of gender differences, generalization of men's addiction to women, fear of losing custody of children, shame and stigma, fear of loneliness, fear of relapse, and indetermination.

Based on the results, the current conditions of treatment are not suitable for women. Therefore, changing people's attitude toward the illness of drug-using women and their reformability, paying attention to women as an efficient element when formulating a comprehensive treatment plan, trying to create a favorable family environment for the drug user after treatment, trying to increase the level of awareness about women's treatment, establishing public treatment centers for drug-dependent individuals, and trying to legitimize the treatment of drug-using women should be taken into consideration.

The present research aimed to compare defense mechanisms, early maladaptive schemas, and self-concept between individuals with and without drug dependence.

The present research was causal-comparative. A number of 80 people of individuals referring to drug independent and outpatient treatment centers in the city of Rasht were selected by non-probability and purposeful sampling method and answered the questionnaires of early maladaptive schemas (short form), the defense styles, and the self-concept.

The results showed that there was a significant difference between individuals with and without drug dependence in the studied variables so that drug-dependent individuals had significantly higher scores on the subscales of mental ability, physical attractiveness, and social skills, as well as significantly lower scores on the subscales of job efficiency and pros and cons than drug-independent individuals. In addition, the drug-dependent group scored significantly higher only on neurotic defense mechanisms than the normal group, and no significant difference was found between them in immature and mature mechanisms. Finally, the drug-dependent group scored significantly higher than the normal group on the subscales of disconnection and rejection, impaired autonomy and performance, impaired limits, and over-vigilance and inhibition, but no significant difference was observed in the other-directedness subscale between the two groups.

Weak dimensions of self-concept, the use of neurotic defense mechanisms, and higher levels of early maladaptive schemas can be possible high-risk factors underlying individuals’ tendency to drug use.

The present research was conducted to determine the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms and addiction potential in individuals with substance dependence by examining the mediating role of executive functions and emotion self-regulation.

The method of the present research was descriptive-correlational of path analysis type. The statistical population of the study was all men referring to addiction treatment centers in the city of Mashhad in 2019. A total of 200 individuals were selected using a multi-stage random sampling method. The tools used in this research included the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-report Scale, the Addiction Potential Scale, the Emotion Self-regulation Scale, and the Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and path analysis.

The results showed that attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms had a significant direct and also a significant indirect effect via the subscales of self-organization/problem-solving of the executive functions and emotion self-regulation on addiction potential. In sum, the results showed that the model had appropriate fit.

These results show that symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity have an important role in addiction potential by affecting the executive functions of self-organization/problem-solving, as well as emotion self-regulation. These results can have implications for designing preventive interventions against addiction in vulnerable individuals based on strengthening executive functions.

The present research aimed to investigate the death due to drug use in terms of socio-economic development indicators.

This research was conducted by the time-series method in the period of 1991-2020. The required data were collected from the Iranian Statistics Center, the Forensic Medicine Organization, the Anti-Narcotics Headquarters, and the World Bank. To measure the short-term and long-term relationships, the autoregressive distributed lag model was used in Microfit software.

The results showed that the gross domestic product and literacy had a significant positive relationship with the death rate due to drug use, but the inflation rate did not. The variables of urban population and unemployment rate also showed a significant negative relationship with the dependent variable. Therefore, the existence of a long-term relationship between socioeconomic development indicators and the death rate due to drug use was confirmed. The results also indicated that the coefficients of the regression estimates were stable because the movement path of the variable of death due to drug use located between two bands.

Socioeconomic macro indicators affect death due to drug use in Iran as an acute social problem in the long run. Specifically, the death due to drug use has increased with the growth of gross domestic product and literacy, and has decreased with the growth of the urban population and the unemployment rate.

The present research aimed to compare addiction relapse-related factors between the two groups of individuals with permanent withdrawal and relapse to drug use.

The method of the present research was causal-comparative. The statistical population of the research included all individuals with successful and unsuccessful withdrawal experiences referring to the camps under the supervision of the Welfare Organization of the city of Mashhad. The research sample included 100 people with relapse (n=50) and permanent withdrawal (n=50) who were selected purposefully. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire with good validity and reliability.

The results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of variables, such as family support, family control, the stigma and social rejection experience, connection with drug-dependent friends, and the facilities and services of the treatment center in favor of the permanent withdrawal group. In addition, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the variables of easy access to drug and receiving rewards from drug use.

Considering that social factors play a key role in addiction relapse, it is necessary to have a sociological perspective on the fundamental role of social factors in addition to the services of treatment centers in order to make the programs and services provided by Welfare Organization centers more effective and to prevent relapse.