Psychosocial Factors and Psychological Adjustment Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Comparative Analysis of Occasional Drug Craving and Non-Craving.

Objective: The rate of drug craving not only in Pakistan is escalating rapidly, but also from a wide range of cultures and geographically have been impacted by the drug problem. Recently, drug cravings among young Pakistani school and college students have significantly increased, particularly illegal substances like hashish, heroin, and ecstasy.

Methods: We recruited 338 students and gathered demographic and drug-craving data through a survey. To assess the study variables, we used the parental acceptance-rejection short version, peer pressure questionnaire, and adult personality assessment scale.

Results: The prevalence rate of occasional drug craving was 44.1% (tobacco, 39.9%; heroin, 1.8%; ice, 0.6%; and others), and 55.9% have never tried them. Initially, drug craving at the first onset at the age of 14 in friend gatherings (15.7%) in stressful situations (11.2%), high-income families, particularly in joint family systems with paternal rejection, peer enforcement, and maladjustment had a higher risk than affectionate parents and conventional peers. Stepwise binary logistic regression analysis disclosed that age, socioeconomic status, father affection, hostility, rejection, negligence, peer influences, and psychosocial adjustment, mother hostility were independently associated with occasional drug cravings.

Conclusion: Findings suggested the high prevalence of occasional drug cravings in Pakistani students in the capital territory. Furthermore, the demographic and other social and clinical aspects could be linked. This study carried out theoretical significance in understanding the predictors of occasional drug craving and psychological adjustment, highlighting the peer and parent's roles and the educational institutions.