Parental Bonding and Academic Burnout on Addiction Potential Among Students

The risk of drug abuse during youth and adolescence depends on the individual’s family structure. Parents’ interaction methods and parenting styles are an important part of the social context. Since the interaction between parents and children has a great influence on students’ addiction, this study was conducted to assess the relationship between parental bonding and academic burnout with addiction potential among students studying in Semnan University of Medical Sciences.

This study was a cross sectional descriptive analytical study conducted on 245 students studying in Semnan University of Medical Sciences (2014 - 2015) using the valid Pierson’s questionnaire about parental bonding, school burnout, and addiction potential. The scores of addiction potential, school-burnout, and parental child bonding were obtained. The correlation and multiple regression models were then investigated.

The scores of addiction potential and academic burnout were 79.03 ± 13.26 and 32.02 ± 15.84, respectively. In fact, in the reduced multiple regression model only male gender (b = 6.718, P < 0.001), higher grade point average (b = 3.556, P = 0.020), higher school-burnout (b = 6.460, P < 0.001), higher care by parents (father’s care, b = 6.503, P < 0.001, mother’s care (b = 6.336, P = 0.001), and less control by the father (b = -4.058, P = 0.007) were associated with increased susceptibility of students to addiction.

Numerous factors, such as male gender, higher grade point average, greater school burnout and care by both parents and less control by the father were associated with increased susceptibility of students to addiction and they provided the conditions for addiction among students.