Factors predicting the intention of drug abuse avoidance among adolescents in Pinlaung Township, Myanmar: predictive correlational design.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a critical transition period and is at high risk for drug/substance abuse. In Myanmar, drug use is common among adolescents and is a public health concern. There are no studies of drug abuse prevention among Myanmar adolescents. Intentions to avoid drug abuse can be a protective factor for preventing drug abuse among adolescents. This study investigated the effects of sex, parental history of drug/alcohol abuse, self-efficacy, parental marital status, and family functioning on the intention of drug abuse avoidance among Myanmar adolescents. METHODS: This is a predictive correlational study. The Biopsychosocial model was used as the theoretical framework of this study. A convenient sampling method was used to collect data from 157 students aged 13-18 years in a government school, middle school level and high school level, Pinlaung Town, Southern Shan State, Myanmar during the COVID-19 pandemic and political protests. G* power software was used to calculate the sample size. Data was collected by four self-administered questionnaires: a socio-demographic questionnaire, Thai Family Functioning Scale (TFFS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), and Intention of Drug Avoidance Scale (IDAS). Multiple linear regression was employed to analyze the data. RESULTS: Five predictors, including biological sex, parental history without drug/alcohol abuse, self-efficacy, parental marital status, and family functioning, explained 24.4% of the variance in the intention of drug abuse avoidance among Myanmar adolescents (R 2 = .244, F (5,151) = 9.738, p = .000). In addition, only three factors, family functioning (ß = .31, p < .001), biological sex (ß = -.25, p < .01), and self-efficacy (ß = .16, p < .05) statistically and significantly predicted the intention of drug abuse avoidance among Myanmar adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Family functioning, female gender, and self-efficacy predicted the intention of drug abuse avoidance among Myanmar adolescents in Pinlaung Township, Southern Shan State, Myanmar. IMPLICATIONS OF THIS STUDY: The results of this study have implications for all stakeholders through research, education, practice, and policymaking leading to improve the intentions of drug abuse avoidance among Myanmar adolescents. Furthermore, the results of this study specifically contribute to create psychoeducational intervention programs for increasing intention to avoid substance use by promoting family functioning and self-efficacy of adolescents. This is especially proper for male adolescents who have less intention to avoid substance use.

Factors contributing to depressive symptoms among undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To investigate predictive factors of student's academic year, interest in the field of nursing, stress, self-efficacy, and problem-focused and emotion-focused coping on the depressive symptoms among undergraduate nursing students. BACKGROUND: As the burden of depression among students has increased worldwide, depressive symptoms have become a standard part of mental health problems in college and university students. Among the various fields of medical sciences, nursing students face more stressors during their study period and are more at risk of suffering depressive symptoms than other students. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. METHODS: A total of 230 undergraduate nursing students from a university in Myanmar were recruited from August to September 2021. The data were collected using standard research instruments, including a Demographic Questionnaire, Student Nurse Stress Index Questionnaire, General Self-efficacy Scale, Brief COPE Inventory, and Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. Inferential statistics were used to identify the predictive effect of academic year, interest in the field of nursing, stress, self-efficacy, problem-focused coping, and emotion-focused coping on depressive symptoms, using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Academic year, interest in the field of nursing, stress, self-efficacy, and problem-focused and emotion-focused coping accounted for 31.5% of the variance of depressive symptoms (F(8, 221) = 12.704, p < .001) with an R2 = .315. Stress was the factor that most influenced student's depressive symptoms (ß = .407, p < .001). Self-efficacy (ß = -.244, p < .001) and emotion-focused coping (ß = .199, p < .05) were also critical factors contributing to depressive symptoms among undergraduate nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide insight and knowledge about depressive symptoms and factors that can contribute to depressive symptoms among undergraduate nursing students. Results suggest that nurse educators and community mental health nurses should focus on reducing stress, increasing self-efficacy, and enhancing proper coping strategies among students to prevent depressive symptoms.

Predicting factors for risk of depression in adolescents with learning disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To study the predicting factors for risk of depression in adolescents with learning disorders. MATERIAL AND METHOD: One hundred adolescent patients with learning disorders between 10 and 19 years of age were included in this study. The data were collected by using four questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson s product moment correlation coefficient, and stepwise regression technique. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 77 males (77%) and 23 females (23%) with a mean age of 13.25 (SD = 2.49). Most of the samples (42%) were in secondary elementary school. The subtype found most was specific spelling disorder (76%), and the comorbidity found most was Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (81%). The self-esteem predicted 23% of the variation in risk of depression. The power of prediction was increased to 27% and 32% respectively when gender and family functioning was added respectively. However the comorbidity could not predict risk of depression. CONCLUSION: Development of an intervention program to reduce the risk of depression in adolescents with learning disorders is recommended This program should be aimed to increase self-esteem, focus on the concern with gender differences, and strengthen family functioning.