title: Vulnerability to substance abuse and the risk of suicide in students of region 12 of islamic azad university.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Substance abuse prevalence and the number of suicides among university students is less than public population; however the sensitivity of society regarding the occurrence of such damages among students puts special emphasis on appraising these variables. More than 30% of Iranian students study in Islamic Azad University.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current research aimed to appraise the vulnerability of substance abuse and the risk of suicide in students of region 12 of Islamic Azad University.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the current study, 1053 students (606 boys and 447 girls) with the average age of 22.55 years were selected through stratified sampling from Karaj, Takestan, Qazvin and Qom branches of Islamic Azad University. In order to assess the variables, Mental Health Worksheet of Central Counseling Office of the Ministry Science, Research and Technology was utilized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average, standard deviation, minimum and maximum scores in substance abuse vulnerability of the students in region 12 were measured as 36.28, 14.68, 11.22 and 92.87; and the same for risk of suicide were 31.29, 15.61, 7.93 and 96.30, respectively. Students in Qom branch were significantly less vulnerable to substance abuse and less exposed to the risk of suicide than their peers in Karaj, Qazvin and Takestan branches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Less significant possibility of substance abuse and risk of suicide in students of Qom branch in comparison with other branches could be due to numerous variables particularly their religious attitudes. Nevertheless the average of these variables among the students of region 12 were higher than the reported scores of their peers in the state universities which reflects the serious need for precise assessments and providing preventive services and mental health interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Monirpoor
authors.affiliation: Counseling Center, University of Shahed, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khoosfi
authors.affiliation: Young Researches Club, Rudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rudehen, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gholamy Zarch
authors.affiliation: Young Researches Club, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamaddonfard
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Farzad
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Tabatabaei Mir
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Markazi Sciences and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohammad Alipour
authors.affiliation: Department of Counseling, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Yasamin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karimi
keywords: Risk of Suicide; Students; Vulnerability to Substance Abuse