research on addiction

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the driving forces behind addiction relapse in rural areas. Method: This was an applied, descriptive-analytical study. Data were collected through both library research and field studies. The study's location was rural areas of West Azerbaijan province, which, according to the 2016 census, has 304,853 households and a population of 1,129,016. To accurately examine attitudes and perceptions, the Q methodology and exploratory factor analysis (Stephenson's method) were used. The research discourse community consisted of 26 experts from welfare and Imam Khomeini Relief Committee offices, NA officials, village heads, Social Damage Experts of the Governorate, university professors, rural affairs specialists, sociologists, and addiction treatment camp officials, etc. Results: The most significant driving forces behind addiction relapse were identified as: 1) empowerment, financial capacity, human environmental coercion, and psychological pressures; 2) therapeutic use, family problems, poverty, and separation from family due to seasonal work; 3) the presence of bad company, showing off, curiosity, and a lack of comprehensive social policy for prevention; 4) marriage issues, neglect of children, and recreational substance use; and 5) family relationships, increased economic pressures, and the prevalence of false beliefs about substance use in villages. Conclusion: In the rural areas of West Azerbaijan province, empowerment, financial capacity, environmental coercion, and psychological pressures, along with therapeutic use, family problems and separation, poverty, etc, are considered among the most important driving forces for individuals returning to the cycle of addiction.