A Comparative Study of Substance Abusers and Non-Abusers on Peer Pressure, Tendency to Risk Taking Behavior and Anxiety

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine interpersonal relationships, tendency to risk-taking behavior, and anxiety among substance abusers and non-abusers.  A cross-sectional research design was used, and the study was conducted on young adults/ students living and studying in Rawalpindi and Islamabad from September 2019 to December 2019. A convenient and snowball sampling technique was used for data collection from community sample young adults (n = 138; age range from 17-35 years). Self-report measures that are Zung self-rating anxiety scale, Susceptibility to peer pressure self-esteem and health locus of control, and risk-taking questionnaire were used for the data collection. Participants were categorized as substance abusers and non-abusers through independent sample t-tests. A Bivariate Pearson correlation was also calculated. Risk-taking behavior and peer pressure are positively correlated with each other. Anxiety and Risk-taking have negatively correlated to each other. Anxiety affects both abusers and non-abusers equally. Substance abusers scored high on peer pressure and risk-taking behavior as compared to non-abusers. Females are more susceptible to peer pressure as compared to males irrespective of drug intake. Substance abuse has little to do with anxiety. The study was conducted only in Islamabad and Rawalpindi regions where respondents were only young adults/ students, yet, in the future, researchers could use a large sample size and could conduct the study in more than two regions. They could also expand it to the whole country and might include older citizens too to get verifiable facts generalize the results.