بررسی بهزیستی اجتماعی و رابطه آن با نگرش نسبت به مصرف مواد در بین نوجوانان عادی، پرخطر و معتاد
محورهای موضوعی : Research on Iranian social issues
1 - استادیار گروه جوانان و مناسبات نسلی، پژوهشگاه علوم انسانی و مطالعات اجتماعی جهاد دانشگاهی، تهران، ایران
کلید واژه: سوءمصرف مواد, بهزیستی اجتماعی, سلامت اجتماعی, انسجام اجتماعی, شکوفایی اجتماعی, مشارکت اجتماعی, انطباق اجتماعی.,
چکیده مقاله :
این مقاله به بررسی رابطه بین بهزیستی اجتماعی با نگرش نوجوانان نسبت به مصرف مواد پرداخته است. پژوهش حاضر بر اساس روش و نحوه گردآوری اطلاعات، بر دو شیوه تحقیق اسنادی و پیمایشی استوار است. جامعه آماری تحقیق را سه گروه از نوجوانان عادی، پرخطر و سوءمصرفکننده (12-18 سال) شهر تهران تشکیل میدهد و مجموعاً 749 نفر با استفاده از نمونهگیری خوشهای چندمرحلهای پاسخگوی پرسشنامهها بودند. یافتهها حاکی از آن است که بهزیستی اجتماعی نوجوانان عادی، پرخطر و معتاد متفاوت است. از سوی دیگر نمودار خط برازش بیانگر آن است که هرچه بهزیستی اجتماعی افزایش مییابد، نگرش نسبت به مواد کمتر و به عبارت دیگر منفیتر میشود. و این دو متغیر نسبت به هم رابطه معکوسی دارند. تحلیل رگرسیونی بهزیستی اجتماعی بیانگر آن است که در بین نوجوانان عادی51 درصد از تفاوت نگرش نسبت به مصرف مواد و در بین نوجوانان پرخطر 58.1 درصد به دلیل تفاوت بهزیستی اجتماعی است. در بین نوجوانان پرخطر، شاخصی که بیشترین رابطه را با نگرش مثبت به مصرف مواد داشت، بهترتیب عبارتند بودند از همدلی اجتماعی، امید به آینده، اعتماد اجتماعی، حمایت اجتماعی، احساس ارزشمندی اجتماعی، دوستی و همبستگی و رضایت از محیط زندگی. هرچه این شاخصها بالاتر روند، نگرش مثبت نسبت به مصرف مواد پایینتر میآید. درخصوص نوجوانان عادی، شرکت در فعالیتهای اجتماعی، رضایت از محیط زندگی، احساس ارزشمندی اجتماعی، امید به آینده، اعتماد اجتماعی، تعلق اجتماعی، دوستی و همبستگی و معنادار دانستن زندگی بیشترین رابطه را با نگرش نسبت به مواد داشتند.
This study investigates the relationship between social well-being and adolescents’ attitudes toward substance use. The research employs both documentary and survey methods for data collection. The study population consists of three groups of adolescents (aged 12–18) in Tehran: typically developing, high-risk, and substance-dependent, with a total of 749 participants selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. The findings indicate that social well-being varies across these groups. A fitted line plot demonstrates that higher social well-being is associated with a less favorable (i.e., more negative) attitude toward substance use, revealing an inverse relationship between these variables. Regression analysis shows that among typically developing adolescents, 51% of the variance in attitudes toward substance use is attributable to differences in social well-being, while among high -risk adolescents, this figure is 58.1%. Among high -risk adolescents, the indicators most strongly associated with positive attitudes toward substance use, in descending order, are social empathy, hope for the future, social trust, social support, sense of social worth, friendship and solidarity, and satisfaction with the living environment. Higher levels of these indicators correlate with less positive attitudes toward substance use. For typically developing adolescents, participation in social activities, satisfaction with the living environment, sense of social worth, hope for the future, social trust, social belonging, friendship and solidarity, and finding life meaningful exhibit the strongest associations with attitudes toward substance use.
Keywords: Substance Abuse, Social Well-Being, Social Health,
Social Cohesion, Social Flourishing, Social Participation, Social Adjustment.
Introduction
Over the past three decades, most approaches to drug abuse prevention in Iran have focused on developing effective strategies for adolescents. Each preventive approach has targeted specific components. One factor that has received less attention is social well-being. According to many scholars, relationships, shared experiences, and kinship play a significant role in enriching and giving meaning to individuals’ lives. Corey Lee Keyes (2004) defines social well-being as an individual’s ability to interact effectively with others and society to form satisfying personal relationships and fulfill social roles. Keyes identifies five dimensions of social well-being: social cohesion, social acceptance, social participation, social adjustment, and social flourishing. This study compares social well-being among typically developing,high -risk, and substance-dependent adolescents using a survey method and examines its impact on positive or negative attitudes toward substance use. Social well-being has received limited attention in health-related research. Understanding social well-being and developing a culturally and socially relevant model can enhance our understanding of substance abuse among adolescents and improve the effectiveness of prevention programs.
Methodology
The research utilizes both documentary and survey methods for data collection. The study population comprises three groups of adolescents (aged 12–18) in Tehran: typically developing, high -risk, and substance-dependent. A total of 749 participants were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling and responded to questionnaires.
Findings
The results indicate that social well-being differs among typically developing, high -risk, and substance-dependent adolescents. A fitted line plot shows that higher social well-being is associated with a less favorable (i.e., more negative) attitude toward substance use, confirming an inverse relationship between these variables. Regression analysis reveals that social cohesion has the strongest impact on positive attitudes toward substance use in both typically developing and high -risk adolescents, while social adjustment has the least impact. When analyzed separately for each group, considering all sub-indicators of social well-being, 51% of the variance in attitudes toward substance use among typically developing adolescents and 58.1% among high -risk adolescents are attributable to differences in social well-being. Due to the lack of statistical significance in the substance-dependent group, their analysis was excluded. Among high -risk adolescents, the indicators most strongly associated with attitudes toward substance use, in descending order, are social empathy, hope for the future, social trust, social support, sense of social worth, friendship and solidarity, and satisfaction with the living environment. Higher levels of these indicators correlate with less positive attitudes toward substance use. For typically developing adolescents, participation in social activities, satisfaction with the living environment, sense of social worth, hope for the future, social trust, social belonging, friendship and solidarity, and finding life meaningful show the strongest associations with attitudes toward substance use. Based on these results, sub-indicators with significant relationships to the dependent variable were identified.
Discussion and Conclusion
A comparison of the three adolescent groups reveals significant differences in social well-being. Notably, nearly half of high -risk adolescents exhibit low social well-being, a concerning distribution. Attitudes toward substance use also vary significantly, with typically developing adolescents displaying more negative attitudes compared to the other groups. Given the influence of these indicators and their sub-components on adolescents’ positive or negative attitudes toward substance use, neglecting these factors may increase the likelihood of substance use. Previous research has emphasized the role of participation in social activities, social support (particularly from family and friends), social belonging, and friendship and solidarity (Bauman et al., 2000; Asheri et al., 1998; Casterman et al., 1997; Spoth et al., 2002) in preventing substance use by strengthening family bonds and supportive roles. Botvin et al. (1995) highlight the importance of fostering peer relationships and individual commitment against substance abuse. Other studies (Crawford & Novak, 2002; Kuendig & Kuntsche, 2006) confirm that adolescents who spend more time with their parents, communicate easily with them, and receive their support are less likely to engage in substance use or abuse. The “family sphere” hypothesis (Cleveland, Feinberg, & Greenberg, 2009) posits the family as a source of protection against substance use, neutralizing external influences, particularly from peers. Piko & Fitzpatrick (2004) demonstrate that religiosity and religious identity, by giving meaning to life, act as protective factors against substance abuse. As Veenhoven (2008) notes, “individuals’ well-being provides critical insights into the quality of the social system they live in. If individuals feel poorly, it indicates that the social system is not suitable for human habitation. One of sociology’s goals is to improve society, and studying social well-being offers clues for creating a more livable society.” Social well-being is a key determinant of social behavior. Individuals with higher social well-being tend to be better citizens, engage more in political issues, exercise their voting rights more frequently, participate in civic activities, and adopt moderate political views. Enhancing social well-being among adolescents, particularly in schools and families, can foster negative attitudes toward substance use and serve as a deterrent alongside other factors. The increasing prevalence of substance use scenarios (from experimental use to dependency), the rise of misleading cultural beliefs, greater accessibility to diverse and inexpensive substances, and encouragement of combined substance use underscore the need for heightened focus on preventive components, including social well-being. Attention to social well-being, alongside other dimensions of social health (social welfare and social virtues), is a critical step toward achieving a healthy lifestyle. Global trends emphasizing individual pleasure as the meaning of life, the crisis of the family institution, absolute selfhood, maximal enjoyment of life, and desocialization highlight the necessity of focusing on social well-being and social virtues to guide adolescents toward a substance-free life.
References
Bauman, Z. (2008) The art of life. John Wiley & Sons, Polity Press.
Cleveland, Michael J.; Feinberg, Mark E.; Greenberg, Mark T. (2009) Protective families in high-and low-risk environments: Implications for adolescent substance use. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(2), 114.
Crawford, L.A.; Novak, K.B. (2002) Parental and peer influences on adolescent drinking: The relative impact of attachment and opportunity. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 12, 1–26.
Keyes, Corey Lee (1998) Social well-being. Social Psychology Quarterly, 61(2), 121–140.
Keyes, Corey Lee M. (2004) Social well-being in the United States: A descriptive epidemiology.
Kuendig, H.; Kuntsche, E. (2006) Family bonding and adolescent alcohol use: Moderating effect of living with excessive drinking parents. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 41, 464–471.
Mousavi, Mehri-Sadat (2018) Evaluation of the role of social dimensions of subjective well-being in school-based prevention of substance abuse. Allameh Tabataba’i University Jihad Publications. (In Persian)
Mousavi, Mehri-Sadat; Mohseni Tabrizi, Alireza (2017) Designing and developing a substance use prevention package for secondary school students. Iran Drug Control Headquarters. (In Persian)
Piko, B.F.; Fitzpatrick, K.M. (2004) Substance use, religiosity, and other protective factors among Hungarian adolescents. Addictive Behaviors, 29, 1095–1107.
Spoth, R.L.; Kavanaugh, K.A.; Dishion, T.J. (2002) Family-centered preventive intervention science: Toward benefits to larger populations of children, youth, and families. Prevention Science, 3(3), 145–152. doi: 10.1023/A:1019924615322
Veenhoven, R. (2008) Sociological theories of subjective well-being. In M. Eid & R. Larsen (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being: A tribute to Ed Diener (pp. 44–61). Guilford Publications.
