Investigation of the relationship between self-efficacy for protection from substance abuse and depression levels among high school students who engage in sports and those who do not

The way individuals think, feel, or behave when faced with any problem has been the focus of multifaceted theoretical studies, with the primary goal of reducing anxiety levels during this process. When examining data on the prevalence of risky health behaviors among adolescents, it is noted that the use of drugs, stimulants, and alcohol has been increasing in recent years, both in our country and in various other nations, becoming a growing societal issue that is increasingly challenging to address. While numerous factors play a role in the process of becoming addicted, depression is considered to be the most significant contributing factor. In this context, sports can be regarded as a highly important activity in preventing both depression and substance dependency. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between substance dependency prevention self-efficacy and depression levels among high school students who engage in sports and those who do not. The population of the study consisted of 36,144 high school students in Malatya, while the sample consisted of 320 high school students studying in 2023-2024. In order to collect data, a 6-question personal information form, the self-efficacy scale for protection from substance abuse for adolescents and the beck depression scale were used. The data obtained were analyzed with SPSS 26.0 package program. In the analysis of the data, normality test was performed first and it was seen that the data met the normality assumptions. For this reason, Independent sample t-test was used in the analysis of binary variables and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used for variables with more than two. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the scales. In the statistical analyzes, the significance level was accepted as p<0.05 for the determination of the difference between the groups. As a result, participants' depression levels were found to be moderate, while their substance dependency prevention self-efficacy levels were above average. Furthermore, a low-level, negative, and statistically significant relationship was observed between the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Substance Dependency Prevention Self-Efficacy Scale for Adolescents. In this context, it can be concluded that sports play a crucial role in reducing participants' depression levels and enhancing their substance dependency self-efficacy. Accordingly, it is recommended that teachers, who interact most frequently with students, be made aware of this issue and work in an integrated manner with students' families to address it effectively.