fountain:

Ramírez-Garduño, Axel, Veytia López, Marcela, Guadarrama Guadarrama, Rosalinda, & Lira Mandujano, Jennifer. (2020). Dispositional mindfulness, spirituality and religion and its role as protective factors for substance use in Mexican adolescents. Nova scientia, 12(25), 00009. Epub February 17, 2021. https://doi.org/10.21640/ns.v12i25.2460

summary

introduction:

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to risky behaviors, such as the use of psychoactive substances (alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs), which can lead to other disorders throughout life. As substance use has increased over the years, it is important to integrate new perspectives into the culture of prevention and care in youth and the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between dispositional mindfulness, spirituality and religion, and their role as protective factors for the use of psychoactive substances in adolescents, as well as to analyze differences in mindfulness and spirituality scores between consumers and non-consumers of substances, and between different religious/spiritual groups.

method:

A cross-sectional study was conducted, evaluating 433 adolescent students of the upper middle level between the ages of 14 and 19 (Average 16.27 ±.91). Statistical correlation tests were run to assess the relationship between variables, in addition to student and one-way ANOVA t-tests to explore differences in mindfulness and spirituality scores between consumer and non-substance groups, and between religious/spiritual groups, respectively. Finally, through a binary logistic regression analysis, the degree of prediction of psychoactive substance use was evaluated.

results:

The sample reported increased consumption of psychoactive substances compared to the latest national survey. Dispositional mindfulness was positively correlated with spirituality and religion, and conversely with substance use, with a mild to moderate force. In addition, individuals who consumed psychoactive substances had significantly lower scores on mindfulness than they had never consumed at all, but no differences were found from spirituality scores. Scores on mindfulness and spirituality were significantly higher in those who formally belonged to a religion. Finally, membership of a religion, followed by dispositional mindfulness were the best predictor variables as a factor of protection of alcohol and drug use, while spirituality was not a variable that contributed significantly to models and was therefore eliminated.

Discussion or Conclusion:

Dispositional mindfulness, spirituality, and religion are variables related to each other. Membership of religion and dispositional mindfulness could be a better protective factor in adolescent substance use than spirituality. Dispositional mindfulness was also higher in those who formally practiced a religion. Finely, the use of psychoactive substances could alter mindfulness-related skills,but more research is needed that can complement and clarify these results in the Mexican population.