scholarly journals Exploring gender differences in the vulnerability towards drug abuse among adolescents in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Wan Shahrazad Wan Sulaiman ◽  
Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin ◽  
Ezarina Zakaria ◽  
Fauziah Ibrahim ◽  
Nazirah Hassan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Interpersonal Conflict ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Risk Areas ◽  
Relevant Factors

Protective and risk factors are important in reducing vulnerability towards drug abuse among adolescents. This study, therefore, aims to explore gender differences in such vulnerability in high-risk areas identified by the National Anti-Drugs Agency Malaysia. The study employs a survey design, with questionnaires distributed to 213 adolescents who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The researchers developed the questionnaire and comprised five parts: the demographic profile, interpersonal conflict, negative emotions, social support, and mental health. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show no significant gender differences in interpersonal conflict, negative emotions, and mental health. However, there was a significant difference in social support based on gender, with females showing a higher mean than males. These findings imply the importance of identifying the relevant factors to prevent early involvement in drug abuse.

Pathways to and from state care: The experiences of eight young people

2006 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Frederick ◽  
Chris Goddard
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Supportive Services ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Depth Interviews

Children enter state care because their parents are unable to care for them or because of abuse and neglect. Invariably they experience considerable distress and emotional trauma with many having clinically significant mental health problems. Few, however, receive the assessment, counselling and supportive services that they need. When they leave care, many experience extensive problems including mental health difficulties, unemployment, poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, relationship difficulties and lack of social support.This paper will discuss the findings of a qualitative study utilising in-depth interviews with young people who have been in state care. Illustrations of their pathways to and from care will highlight their experiences, and direct quotations from the participants will provide particular insights into the complex issues they have had to confront.The paper will outline key opportunities for prevention and intervention approaches at various points along these pathways.

scholarly journals Impact of Self-efficacy and Social Support on Intention to Quit Drug Use among People with Drug Abuse Cases

2020 ◽  
pp. 67-74
Author(s):  
Mokuolu, Bolade Olubunmi ◽  
Ajiboye Samuel Adedotun
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Intention To Quit ◽  
Drug Abusers ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
University Setting

Self-efficacy and social support according to various researches have shown to be important factors in the initiation, recognition and enactment of behavioural changes. This study examines the influence of self-efficacy and social support on the intention to quit drug use among clients in some mental health settings and students in a university setting. The sampled participants in this study include 25 students of Ekiti State University, Nigeria and 60 patients drawn from different mental health settings. General self-efficacy scale was used to measure self-efficacy while multi-dimensional social support scale was used to measure social support. Intention to quit drug use was measured using the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES). The result shows that there is a significant difference between drug abusers in a mental health setting and drug abusers in a university setting on all the three dimensions of intention to quit drug use; the patients having a higher score on the three. The three dimensions of social support do not have a significant influence on intention to quit drugs while Self-efficacy has a major influence on the intention to quit drug use (Beta = .244, P<.05). From the research findings, individual characteristics like self-efficacy play a major role in therapy and on patients’ intention to quit drugs than social support but this does not negate the importance of social support in therapy. So, therapists should endeavour to assess and develop an individual's attitude to prevent relapse after treatment. More so, psycho-education is pivotal in drug use cessation when compared with the population that was not exposed to psycho-education. So, awareness about the dangers of drug abuse should not only be done in mental health settings; but also in schools and our society at large.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of the Pilot Implementation of Iran’s Comprehensive Mental and Social Health Services (the SERAJ Program): A Controlled Community Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Hajebi ◽  
Vandad Sharifi ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Asgardoon ◽  
Behzad Damari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Community Trial

Objective: A national program on providing comprehensive social and mental health services, entitled “SERAJ” was developed and piloted in three districts of Iran. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SERAJ by conducting assessments before and after the implementation in the intervention and the control areas. Method: This was a controlled community trial that was assessed by conducting repeated surveys in the intervention and the control areas. In total, 2952 and 2874 individuals were assessed in the intervention and the control areas, respectively. The change in prevalence of mental disorders (using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview; CIDI), service utilization, mental health literacy, happiness, and perceived social support were measured over 18 months in three districts of Osko, Bardsir, and Quchan as the intervention areas, which were compared with three matched districts as the control areas. Results: No significant difference was found in the mean score of happiness between the intervention and the control areas throughout the study period. Most aspects of mental health literacy were improved in the intervention areas after implementing the intervention. The mean score of social support decreased after implementing the intervention in all areas. The prevalence of mental disorders in the intervention districts was significantly reduced after 18 months. The rate of using any mental health services after the intervention was not statistically different between the intervention and the control areas. Conclusion: There was no significant change in some indicators in the intervention compared with the control areas. We suggest evaluating SERAJ’s achievements and challenges in the three intervention districts before expanding the implementation of this pilot experience into other districts.

scholarly journals Expressive Flexibility and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Social Support and Gender Differences

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 456
Author(s):  
Chenyu Shangguan ◽  
Lihui Zhang ◽  
Yali Wang ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Meixian Shan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Positive Direct ◽  
The Relationship

Recent research has emphasized the crucial role of expressive flexibility in mental health. This study extended prior studies by further exploring the mediating mechanism and possible gender differences underlying the association between expressive flexibility and mental health indexed by depression and life satisfaction based on the dual-factor model of mental health. Specifically, we explored whether social support mediated the association between expressive flexibility and depression as well as life satisfaction, and whether there were gender differences in these relationships. A total of 711 voluntary college students (mean age = 20.98 years, SD = 2.28; 55.70% women) completed a set of scales assessing expressive flexibility, perceived social support, depression, and life satisfaction. Results showed that expressive flexibility had a positive direct effect on life satisfaction and social support mediated this association. Social support also mediated the relationship between expressive flexibility and depression. The mediation effect of social support was robust and consistent in men and women whereas expressive flexibility had a stronger direct effect on depression in women compared to men. The present study contributes to clarifying the relationship between expressive flexibility and mental health from a more comprehensive perspective. Last, the strengths and limitations of this study were discussed.

Attitudes toward Drugs and Drug Education

1972 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald J. Haggerty ◽  
Stanley Zimering
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Drug Education ◽  
State University ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Urgent Task ◽  
Drug Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge And Practice ◽  
Relevant Factors

Citing the need to provide drug education for prospective teachers the authors refer to a study conducted to determine the number of colleges that have implemented such a program. Some attention is given to the characteristics related to attitude formation in childhood and the need to begin drug education early, with emphasis being placed on mental health. Supportive data are presented from a survey of students' drug knowledge and practice at State University College, Stony Brook, N.Y., regarding how drug education programs should be taught. Several relevant factors are listed which should be considered in a drug education program from the viewpoint of the students surveyed. The authors conclude that there is probably no more urgent task facing our colleges than planned programs for training teachers in drug abuse education.

scholarly journals Contemporary Trend of Drug Abuse Among In-School Adolescents in Kwara State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-34
Author(s):  
Foluke Nike Bolu-Steve
Keyword(s):  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Orientation Programs ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Refusal Skills ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Drug Refusal ◽  
Descriptive Survey

Presently, drug abuse has become a societal problem with its prevalence being found among adolescents in Nigeria. This study focuses on the contemporary trend of drug abuse among in-school adolescents in Kwara State, Nigeria. The study employed the use of a descriptive survey design. One hundred respondents were chosen for the study through the use of a simple random sampling technique from the three Senatorial districts of Kwara State. In total, three hundred adolescents participated in the study. The respondents were stratified on the basis of age and gender. In order to ascertain the validity of the instrument of this study, copies of the questionnaire were given to experts and lecturers in related fields for vetting. A reliability index of 0.75 was obtained using a test-retest method. The instrument used for this study was tagged “Trends of Drug Abuse Questionnaire” (TDAQ). The outcome of this research revealed that a significant difference existed in in-school adolescent’s perception on the contemporary trend of drug abuse based on age. However, on the basis of gender, the respondent’s perceptions were similar. Given these results, it is recommended that drug refusal skills as well as drug education be incorporated into students’ orientation programs.

Gender Differences in Social Support: Mental Health Consequences among the Homeless

1997 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Lagory ◽  
Ferris Ritchey ◽  
Tamatha Sells
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Health Consequences

scholarly journals New Insights on the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence and Social Support on University Students’ Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic: Gender Matters

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 12935
Author(s):  
Carla Barros ◽  
Ana Sacau-Fontenla
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
University Students ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Online Questionnaire

Due to the demanding changes caused in the population by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a persisting experience of fear and social isolation, multiple studies have focused on the protective role of several psychological characteristics on mental health. Emotional intelligence and social support are commonly linked to mental health and well-being. The present study aims to analyze the mediator role of emotional intelligence and social support on university students’ mental health, taking into consideration the role of gender differences. An online questionnaire was administered to a sample of 923 university students during the COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal. Significant gender differences were found on mental health symptoms, emotional intelligence, and social support. A double mediation model was computed to verify if gender influences on mental health were mediated by emotional intelligence and social support. The results show indirect effects of gender on mental health. However, as both mediators mediate in the opposite direction, the total indirect effects become null. Thus, a strong direct effect of gender on mental health remains. The results of the present study have theoretical implications on protective factors of mental health by gender and practical implications for psychological intervention in university counselling services.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Attitudes and Achievement in Mathematics among Ghanaian JHS Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Derrick Anokye-Poku ◽  
Ernest Ampadu
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
School Students ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Performance ◽  
And Mathematics

Students’ learning and performance in mathematics is affected by several factors, including students’ attitude. This paper aims to understand the gender differences in attitude toward mathematics and mathematics achievement. A descriptive survey design was used, and the participants consisted of 360 Junior High School students. Two instruments, semi-structured questionnaire and students test scores were used. The results revealed that, in general, both female and male students held positive attitudes towards mathematics, and there was no significant difference in attitudes between genders toward mathematics. However, the results established that there was a significant difference in achievement. It was recommended that to achieve sustainable development goal 4, teachers, parents, and educational authorities should develop creative and innovative ways of helping students, especially female students to build self-confidence in the learning of mathematics.

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