Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy
Open Access

Drug addiction is a serious problem in today's world. There are many social, psychological factors which contribute to addiction. Drug addict person depends on the complex drug-individual-society relationship it meant that society is playing a very crucial role to become a drug addict [1]. DSM-IV-TR has given a definition “frequent use and increased dependence on a substance that cause symptoms of discomfort and deprivation that has uncontrollable desire to reuse the material” [2]. According to Khorramabadi, so many mental states are responsible for drug addiction, it includes removing pain, unpleasant state, depression or stress. Use of drugs can reduce in these mental states but for the short term only or these are the wrong method, it can give relive [3]. As we said earlier mental state depression and stress are very common psychological disorders among drug addicts. According to Sadock, under the criteria of major depressive disorder, drug addicts are involved [2]. Depression can be considered as a varities of symptoms such as sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, helplessness, etc. from a week to months, years. A depressed person often feelings of guilt, and worthlessness [4] and these symptoms can cause to drug abuse [5]. Selye has defined stress as a condition when a person feel under pressure to do something forcefully, it can be mentally, physically, or emotionally, and any cause which leads to pressure called stimulus [6] and stress is a main factor in the development of drug addiction [7]. Happiness may be defined as the situation in which a human being expresses pleasure and contentment. It is the condition in which negative stress degrees are at the small, even if not zero and positive stress improve the person's positive emotions. Stay happy is one of the most basic necessities of living. Since the launch of the human civilization, man has also been trying to develop new technologies, make new tools and improve his lifestyle for the sole purpose of attaining happiness. Although, in this race of scientific attempt and pursuing money and luxuries, man is hardly conscious of what actually compose happiness [8].

In this present study, drug addicts were included, all male patients who were admitted in drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre located at sector 18 Chandigarh and other non-drug addicts males means those people who were not using any kind of drug, and data was conducted from Chandigarh. As per previous studies, men were higher on drugs than women, it was necessary to carry out the research on men only, and maximum studies were done on adolescence, adults [9]. Ethical clearance was obtained from the rehabilitation centre authorities and informed consent was obtained from the patients (drug addicts) as well as from the person who were non drug addicts. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample of 30 patients within the age range of 19 years to 40 years and other groups were 30 non drug addicts within the same age range. In the study, psychotic cases were excluded, because they unable to respond properly. Some psychological tools were administered, first was, The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), it contains 21-item; self-report rating inventory that measures characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression. The BDI demonstrates high internal consistency, with alpha coefficients of 0.86 and 0.81 for psychiatric and non-psychiatric populations respectively. Second was, Perceived Stress Scale. The perceived stress scale was developed to measure the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. This scale is a 10 item, self-report rating inventory. Reliability evaluates of 0.85 and 0.82 in a university sample for scores on the perceived helplessness and perceived self-efficacy scales, respectively. and the third one was, The Oxford happiness questionnaire was developed by psychologists Michael Argyle and Peter Hills at Oxford University. 29 item questionnaire, Internal consistency reliability (alpha = 0.92) and good construct validity in terms of positive association with extraversion (r =0 .38 p<0.001) and negative association with neuroticism (r = −0.57 p < 0.001). In the study hypothesis was framed as, drug addicts will be higher on depression, stress but not on happiness.

The above table revealed there were significant differences between drug addicts and non-drug addicts, on the variable of depression, (Mean= 32.70 vs. 17.77, t= 10.25, df= 58, SD 5.50 vs. 5.79, p<0.01). The p-value comes out to be 0.001, it is shown that there was a difference between these two groups. Drug addicts and non-drug addicts have not the same level of depression (Table 1).

Table 1: The table is showing mean, S.D. p-value obtained on the depression, stress, and happiness in drug addicts and non-drug addicts.

The p-value of stress between drug addicts and non-drug addicts found to be 0.010 which show the significant differences between these two groups. Drug addicts and non-drug addicts experience differences on the stress variable, (Mean= 24.27 vs. 19.00, t=2.65, df=58, SD 8.35 vs. 6.95, p<0.05) it revealed that significant differences between two groups.

The p-value of our last happiness variable between drug addicts and non-drug addicts found to be 0.007 which shows the significant differences between the two groups, (Mean= 81.77 vs. 100.37, t =3.59, df =58, SD 31.10 vs. 28.30, p<0.01) which meant that happiness was more in non-drug addicts as compared to drug addicts. Here we can say that our hypothesis has proved.

Some supported studies are showing the same results. High levels of depression and more stress among substance abusers as compared with the control group showed consistent Salovey et al. [10].

Hasin, showing that 70% above drug addicts suffer from depression and other psychological disorders [11]. Ndetei et al. has conducted a study and found a positive correlation between depression and alcohol abuse patients who admitted to a psychiatric hospital [12]. Sinha et al. explained in their study that stress was significantly correlated with the addictive substance [13]. Ciarrochi et al. found that substance abuse was negatively related to happiness [14].

Form the above discussion it is concluded that there is a difference between drug addicts and non-drug addicts on the basis of some variables i.e., depression, stress, and happiness. Drug addicts are high on depression, stress but low on happiness. The present study suggested several implications for drug addicts, they should quit the bad habit of using drugs, and use healthy ways to overcome depression, stress. Even they should find happiness without being a drug addict, they should go for social support like Narcotic Anonymous, Alcohol Anonymous, when they are feeling depressed, stressed and lack of goal direction.