Facteurs psychosociaux et motivation à la consommation des stupéfiants chez les adolescents en milieu scolaire. cas des élèves de l’arrondissement de Yaoundé IV

Abstract

Drug use is a growing problem in the world in general and in Cameroon in particular. This scourge is increasingly recrudescent among adolescents in school. According to the 2018 statistics of the CNLD cited by TCHIROMA (2018), 21% of the Cameroonian population has already experimented with drugs. Regular consumption represents 10%, or 60% of young people aged between 15 and 25 years. Concerning the under-15s, more than 12,000 use drugs in Cameroon. Numerous studies conducted in the Cameroonian and African context have highlighted several causes of drug use by adolescents: cohabitation with a parent who consumes alcohol, having a weekly sum of at least 5,000 CFA francs, and the consideration of alcohol as a thirst-quenching drink or as having an antidepressant effect (N'Cho, et al. 2011). For Enoka et al, (2022), adolescents consume because of the search for extraordinary effects: such as having fun or relaxing, to escape from reality (curiosity, belonging to a group, improving one's performance or family history). The aim of our research is to investigate the relationship between psychosocial factors and motivation to use drugs among adolescents in a school setting. This research poses the problem of motivation to use drugs among adolescents. To address this issue, we used a questionnaire composed of several scales including self-esteem (Grégoire, 2005), measures of coping strategies (Folkman and Lazarus,1980), sensation seeking (Taylor and Hamilton, 1997), parenting style (Ane, 2018) and an adaptation of the protective motivation theory (Rogers, 1989) to investigate the factors that motivate adolescents to use drugs in school. This questionnaire was administered to 276 students in high schools and colleges in the Yaoundé IV district. The data processed by correlation and regression analyses confirm the influential link between psychosocial factors and adolescents' motivation to use drugs. Parenting style is a significant reinforcer of motivation to use drugs (P= .001a ): permissive parenting style has a significant influence (F= 14.580; P= .000), democratic parenting style has a significant influence (F= 6.626; P= .000b ) and authoritarian parenting style has a significant influence (F= 3.706; P= .001b ). Sensation-seeking behaviour is a significant reinforcer (P= .000a ): they see no risk (r(277) = .29, p < .01), a beneficial act for them (r(277) = .42, p < .01) and lower cost for them (r(277) = .41, p < .01). Those who seek sensations centred on escaping from problems consider themselves to be self-efficient with regard to drug use (r(277) = .26, p < .01): the benefit (r(277) = .42, p < .01), the lower cost for them (r(277) = .36, p < .01). Coping strategies are significant reinforcers of motivation to use drugs (P=.002a ): for problem-focused strategies, we have the following factors; invulnerability(r(277) = .17, p < .01), favourable attitude(r(277) = .18, p < .01). Emotion-focused strategies, no risk (r(277) = .23, p < .01), non-seriousness (r(277) = .23, p < .01), and invulnerability (r(277) = .12, p < .05). Strategies focused on seeking social support; invulnerability (r(277) = .21, p < .01), no risk (r(277) = .19, p < .01), favourable attitude (r(277) = .14, p < .05), benefit (r(277) = .13, p < .05), and not infected with disease (r(277) = .13, p < .05). Finally, self-esteem was significantly related to drug use (P=.002a): serious (r(277) = -.18, p < .01), not beneficial (r(277) = -.12, p < .05), unfavourable attitude (r(277) = .15, p < .01) These results can be used as a support for the educational community and the partners involved in the daily development of prevention and awareness-raising actions in the fight against drug use among young people.