Study of the mediating role of mental health and motives for substance use in the relationship between adjustment to university and cigarette and water-pipe use among the students

The prevalence of cigarette and water-pipe smoking is gradually increasing among the students in Iran. Considering the psychosocial consequences of smoking, this study aimed at examining the mediating role of mental health and motives to drug abuse in the relationship between adjustment to university and cigarette and water-pipe smoking among students.
This correlational study with a structural equation modeling approach was conducted on 634 students selected from Kashan universities by cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ), Substance Use Motives questionnaires, Young Risk Behavior Scale (YRBS), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28).
The study model had good fit indices (X2=1.42, DF=5, P=0.92, AGFI=0.99, CFI=0.99, NFI=0.99, GFI=0.99, RMSE=0.019).The results of the study showed that there was a reverse and meaningful relationship between individual-emotional adjustment and attachment to university with mental health and substance use motives (P Findings show decrease in the two dimensions of adjustment to university and individual-emotional adjustment, which can lead to mental health problems. Coping motives for cigarette smoking and enhancement motives for water-pipe smoking may increase the probability of cigarette and water pipe smoking in students. Implementing different smoking prevention programs and screening the student's mental health, especially students with mental disorders, are recommended.