Effect of Self-efficacy, Marital Status, Duration of Use on the Addiction Severity among Heroin Users

Background and aims: Previously, marriage have been an exemplar of a possessive constituent against substance use. But apart from marriage how other associated variables such as General Self-efficacy, Duration of use, and Severity level of addiction are also important in managing heroin addiction have also been reflected using this particular research work. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of General Self-efficacy, Marital Status, and Duration of use on the level of addiction among heroin consumers. Also, to identify whether the Severity level of addiction affects general self-efficacy among heroin consumers. Method: A due ethical permission was granted from Institutional Ethics Committee, Utkal University before collection of the data. A purposive sample of 130 male heroin consumers (aged 18-35) from an indoor Rehabilitation Centre in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, consisting of an equal number of married and unmarried were administered the General Self-efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995) and Drug Abuse Screening Test-10 (WHO) to find out the level of self-efficacy and heroin addiction. Information related to the duration of the use of heroin was collected from the rehabilitation centre. A three-way Analysis of Variance with an independent sample 't' test were used to examine the differences among the participants concerning the level of self-efficacy and addiction respectively. Results: Both Marital Status and General Self-efficacy differ significantly so far as the level of addiction is concerned. Further, the moderate and substantial level of addiction also differ significantly on General Self-efficacy among Heroin consumers. No interaction effect was found to be statistically significant among the variables. Conclusion: Self-efficacy, Marital Status and Severity level of addiction work as a buffer in the treatment of heroin addiction. From the result it was revealed that married individuals having high level of general self-efficacy consume heroin at a moderate level and those are unmarried, having low level of general self-efficacy usually consume heroin at a substantial level. Some major factors for the above findings were given emphasized in the discussion part of the research. The different drug treatment centres must be given emphasis on how the patients' level of General Self-efficacy would be enhanced by administering various psychological interventions as well as counselling services by trained Mental Health Professionals and Counsellors.