The Relationship between Mental Health and General Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Coping Strategies and Locus of Control in Male Drug Abusers.
BACKGROUND
Various studies have been conducted to determine the causes of drug abuse from a psychological perspective. Mental health has also been among the studied factors. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental health and general self-efficacy beliefs, coping strategies and locus of control in male drug abusers.


METHODS
This was a correlational descriptive study involving all male drug abusers (4,493 cases) at self-introducing detoxification centers in Kerman, Iran, during 2010-11. A total number of 354 patients were selected randomly with cluster sampling. Measurement tools were included Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE-10), Coping Responses Inventory (CSI), and Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (I-E). The survey data were analyzed by SPSS using Pearson correlation and stepwise regression.


RESULTS
There were significant correlations between mental health and self-efficacy beliefs (r = -0.626), problem-oriented coping strategy (r = -0.535), emotion-oriented coping strategy (r = 0.573), external locus of control (r = -0.298), and internal locus of control (r = -0.525) (P < 0.01 for all). The results of the regression analysis showed that 58.7 percent of total variance of mental health can be estimated by general self-efficacy beliefs, coping strategies and locus of control.


CONCLUSIONS
In general, the results showed that increased levels of general self-efficacy, problem-oriented coping strategy and internal locus of control will improve mental health. In contrast, decreased general self-efficacy, emotion-oriented coping strategy and external locus of control would lead to decreased mental health.
MSc Student in General Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran.
Mozhgan
M
Rabani Bavojdan
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, School of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran.
Afsaneh
A
Towhidi
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, School of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran.
Abbas
A
Rahmati
Coping strategies; General self-efficacy beliefs; Locus of control; Mental health; Substance abusers