Psycho-Social Determinants of Substance Abuse Among Adolescents in Ondo- State, South-West, Nigeria

Abstract

The scourge of substance abuse among the youths seems to be escalating globally in recent times with the resultant increase in crimes and various antisocial behaviors that are of public health concern. Substance abuse refers to the illicit use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco with no recourse to medical prescription. However, the fact remains that substances commonly abused are generally mind altering. This study therefore investigated psycho-social determinants of substance abuse among adolescents in order to reduce the burden of psychoactive drugs in Nigeria. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study. A total sample of 500 participants between ages 14-18 years were selected through multistage sampling technique. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect data and the data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The hypotheses postulated were tested at 0.5 level of significance. The result revealed that there was significant relationship between psycho-social factors and substance abuse among adolescents. The findings also revealed that out of the three psychosocial variables reviewed (poor parenting, poor academic performance and negative peer influence), poor parenting is the best predictor of substance abuse among secondary school adolescents. It was recommended that parents should be proactive in close supervision and use of appropriate anti- drug communication strategies to prevent the onset of substance abuse among adolescents