Individual Differences as Predictors of Illicit Drug Use Among Turkish College Students

Ayvasik H. B., Sumer H. C.

JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY, cilt.144, sa.6, ss.489-505, 2010 (SSCI) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 144 Sayı: 6
  • Basım Tarihi: 2010
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/00223980.2010.496671
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.489-505
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: illicit drug use, personality traits, risk-taking, sensation seeking, Turkish college students, SENSATION-SEEKING, SUBSTANCE USE, BEHAVIORAL DISINHIBITION, NEGATIVE AFFECT, USE DISORDERS, SELF-ESTEEM, ADDICTION, SCALES, PEERS, YOUTH
  • Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Although the prevalence of drug use in the young adult population in Turkey is still far below the figures reported for most European Union countries and the United States, there seems to be a noteworthy increase in drug use, especially among high school and college students. The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent of drug use among college students in Turkey and to identify some of the individual-difference variables associated with drug use. Participants were 781 college students. A survey package including (a) measures of sensation seeking-risk taking, self-esteem, affectivity level, global mental health, overall life satisfaction, and the rate and nature of substance use and (b) demographic questions was administered to the participants during regularly held class meetings. A logistic regression analysis revealed that sensation seeking-risk taking, parental education level, smoking, and frequency of alcohol use predicted illicit drug experience. Implications of the findings and limitations of the study are discussed using the context of the study as a framework.