The Effect of Social Support on Substance Use in Junior High School Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the facilitative/inhibitive effects of social support in junior high school students\u27 substance use (drinking and smoking). The questionnaire consists of the Scale of Expectation for Social Support (SESS) and the substance use scale -this scale contains scales of intention, value, pressure, social standard about substance use- and was administered to 354 junior high school students. Analysis of the actual condition in substance use showed 21% and 8% of junior highs school students were engaged in drinking and smoking respectively. Approximately 30% of junior high school students show positive ratings in the items of substance use associated components. Multiple regression analysis revealed expected social support from mothers and from teachers has inhibitive effect on substance use and its components. The importance of teacher-student relationships in adolescence and the ways of educational intervention were discussed