Risk and protective factors for mental health problems in patients with substance use disorder

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the predictive association of self-esteem and perceived social support (family, friends & significant others) with mental wellbeing in patients with substance use disorder (SUD). Sample of the present study comprised of 200 participants. The age range of the entire sample was between 19-45 years (M =29.90, SD = 6.323). The sample was recruited from different substance use treatment and rehabilitation hospitals/centers located in different areas of Karachi, Sindh. The measures used in the present study were: Personal Information Form, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (Zimet et al., 1988), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965,) and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (Tennant et al., 2007). The results of the linear regression showed that self-esteem contributed 34% variance in mental well-being whereas perceived social support contributed 43.4% variance in mental well-being. These results suggest that self-esteem and perceived social support plays a significant role in the mental well-being of patients with substance use disorder. Further, implications and future significance of research are mentioned.