Psychosocial Factors Contributing Towards Substance Abuse among Adolescents – A Qualitative Study

By : Rajyasri Roy

Page No: 425-433

Abstract
Use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances is a worldwide problem and affects many children and adolescents. Consumption of licit and illicit substances has increased all over the world. The World Bank has reported that nearly 82,000-99,000 children and adolescents all over the world begin smoking every day. About half of them would continue to smoke to adulthood and half of the adult smokers are expected to die prematurely due to smoking related diseases. If current smoking trends continue, tobacco will kill nearly 250 million of today’s children. Adolescents are the most vulnerable population to initiate drug use. The present study was conducted on a sample of 20 male students of class IX, X and XI of age group 14 to 20 years of a Bengali Medium School in North 24 Parganas of West Bengal. A predesigned structured questionnaire based upon CDC and Global School Health Survey (GSHS) questionnaire (applicable for students of class VIII-XII) was prepared in Bengali, for self administration. The present study reveals that substance abuse like smoking tobacco and smokeless tobacco abuse is rising in the age group of 14 to 20 years in India. Various Psychosocial factors that influence and encourage young teenagers to start smoking, to use other tobacco products, alcohols and other substances was identified and qualitatively analyzed with special emphasis on epidemiology (patterns and extent of drug use), etiology (what generates substance use), and consequences (effects and outcomes of youthful drug use). The findings of the study will be useful for Secondary Teachers and parents.

Author :
Rajyasri Roy : Associate Professor in Psychology, GTC. Hooghly, Govt. of West Bengal.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JPR.2018.13.02.17