EC Psychology And Psychiatry

Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and substance abuse among a sample of addicts.

Methods: Participants were 101 addicts, aged between 18 and 60 years old. Self-esteem was assessed by using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale “RSE” [1]. Other information regarding motivations for substance abuse obtained thru developed a questionnaire designed for such a purpose. Data were analyzed by using SPSS Version 21.

Results: There was no significant association between self-esteem and the type of substance used and the number of substances used. Moreover, there was not a significant association between self-esteem and educational level.

Conclusion: Results of this study showed that self-esteem might not be an essential psychological mechanism for addiction. However, such results, might have been influenced by the bias in sample selection process because most of the sample were addicted to Cannabis. Moreover, most of the participants have experienced some forms of psychological interventions which may have included psychological ingredients related to self-esteem.

Keywords: Self-Esteem; Substance Abuse; Addicts

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