Adolescents Drug Abuse Susceptibility: The Protective Role of Spirituality and Social Support

Abstract

Adolescent drug abuse remains a significant public health concern, often resulting in long-term detrimental effects on health, social, and economic outcomes. This research explores the protective roles of spirituality and social support in mitigating the susceptibility of adolescents to drug abuse. Data was collected from a diverse sample of adolescents through structured questionnaires that assessed drug abuse susceptibility, spirituality, and perceived social support. The study was conducted on 400 adolescents age ranged 15 to 19 (M = 17.06, SD = 1.38) 200 males and 200 females from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. In this study instruments to be used i. e. Substance use risk profile scale by Woicik et al., (2009), The spiritual Intelligence self – report Inventory (SISRI) by King and DeCicco (2008), and The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) by Zimet et al., (1988). Descriptive, t-test, correlation methods were applied to test hypotheses. Correlational analysis revealed negative and significant correlation between substance use risk profile and Personal Meaning Production (dimension of spirituality), and between substance use risk profile and family, friends (dimensions of social support). Findings indicate that higher levels of spirituality, especially in personal meaning production dimension is significantly associated with lower drug abuse susceptibility. Furthermore, robust social support systems, encompassing family support, peer support, and community engagement play a critical role in protecting adolescents from drug abuse. The study also suggests that policymakers, educators, and healthcare providers should consider these dimensions to effectively address and mitigate the risk of drug abuse among adolescents.