Investigating the Prevalence of Risky Behaviors and Their Relationship with the Components of Sensation Seeking in Patients Referred to Social Emergency

Nasiri Nasab, Zahra; Tajdin, Ahmad Ali; Aghajani khotbehsara, Elnaz; Naderipour, Mohammad Reza; Aziminia, Fatemeh

doi:10.47176/rjms.31.120

Volume 31, Issue 1 (3-2024) RJMS 2024, 31(1): 1-9 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.47176/rjms.31.120

Research code: 01

Ethics code: IR.IAU.ZAH.REC.1401.065

Clinical trials code: 01

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Nasiri Nasab Z, Tajdin A A, Aghajani khotbehsara E, Naderipour M R, Aziminia F. Investigating the Prevalence of Risky Behaviors and Their Relationship with the Components of Sensation Seeking in Patients Referred to Social Emergency. RJMS 2024; 31 (1) :1-9
URL: http://rjms.iums.ac.ir/article-1-8657-en.html

Investigating the Prevalence of Risky Behaviors and Their Relationship with the Components of Sensation Seeking in Patients Referred to Social Emergency

Zahra Nasiri Nasab

, Ahmad Ali Tajdin

, Elnaz Aghajani khotbehsara

, Mohammad Reza Naderipour

, Fatemeh Aziminia

Master of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Zahedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran. , fatemehazimi024@gmail.com

Abstract: (511 Views)

Background & Aims: One of the strong predictors of the occurrence of risky behaviors is the components of sensation seeking and maladaptive styles of emotion regulation. Sensation-seeking is based on irritability and is defined as the desire to experience diverse, complex, and passionate emotions and situations, along with the desire to accept physical, social, legal, and financial risks. A history of risky behaviors is related to the components of sensation seeking and attachment and can be considered a risk factor for the occurrence of addictive behaviors. People with high levels of sensation seeking are usually variety-seeking, impatient, impulsive in obtaining rewards, unable to accept failure, and often disorganized. Zuckerman defines sensation seeking as having four components: adventure or risk-seeking, which refers to seeking excitement through risky but socially acceptable activities such as speeding or skydiving; experience seeking, which involves seeking excitement through unusual and novel activities; lack of inhibition, in which some people resort to drugs, alcohol, or gambling to escape social constraints; and boredom proneness, which involves high sensitivity to monotony and an attempt to escape it, such that people seek exciting activities to stimulate themselves. Maintaining and promoting individual and social health requires special attention to the role of risky behaviors. Given the importance of this issue and its numerous risks, and also considering that various studies have identified various factors as effective in the occurrence of high-risk behaviors, a comprehensive study with the variables examined in the present study has not been conducted so far, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of high-risk behaviors and its relationship with sensation-seeking components in those referred to social emergency services in Jask and Minab counties.
Methods: The present study is a descriptive (non-experimental) correlational study that was approved by the Islamic Azad University Zahedan Branch Commission with the ethics code IR.IAU.ZAH.REC.1401.065. The statistical population studied in this study was all those referred to social emergency services in Jask and Minab counties in 2021-2022, of which 300 (61% female and 39% male) were selected from 650 people who were referred using the available method. The selected sample responded to the Rajai and Shafiei Risk Behavior Questionnaire (2011) and the Zuckerman Thrill Seeking Scale, Form 5. The research data were evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS-25 statistical software and analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression.
Results: The results showed that the prevalence of addiction in the studied individuals was 100 (34.33), the prevalence of AIDS in 79 (26.33), tobacco use in 178 (59.33%), alcohol use in 143 (47.66%), violence in 141 (47.00%), and unhealthy eating patterns in 141 (47.00). Also, the occurrence of high-risk behaviors in the studied individuals is very high. The results of the study showed that experience-seeking, adventure, boredom, and avoidance of inhibition have a significant effect on the occurrence of high-risk behaviors.
Conclusion: The results of this study are an important step towards understanding the factors affecting the tendency to high-risk behaviors in individuals and can pave the way for creating a healthy society and promoting a suitable lifestyle. One of the high-risk behaviors threatening people with high sensation seeking is the use of ineffective emotion-oriented strategies against the use of opiates and alcohol. Being infected is a vicious cycle. Because the higher level of sensation seeking and having stressful events increases the consumption of drugs and alcohol this problem remains. They do not use these substances solely for pleasure, but they use them as a means of suppressing and overcoming their inner rebellion. On the other hand, there is a possibility that this vulnerable group, which is rejected by positive friends and peers who show a logical and restrained reaction in facing the problems and issues of life, will join and tend to join deviant groups, which in itself can provide a favorable environment for the tendency to risky behaviors. Also, in explaining this finding, it can be said that the tendency to engage in risky behaviors can be a way to reduce unpleasant emotions, and since the individual does not have sufficient and adaptive strategies, he inevitably uses harmful methods that are effective in the short term but have undesirable consequences in the long term. In fact, in such situations, risky behaviors become a kind of emotional regulation strategy that helps the individual escape from a difficult situation or forget and adjust to the unpleasant internal state. Given that the present study used the correlation method, it is not possible to achieve causal results. Also, limitations related to the statistical population of the study can affect the generalization of the findings, interpretations, and causal inferences of the variables under study, which needs to be taken into account. It is suggested that the results of this study be used in the form of skill and educational services in centers, schools, and universities.

Keywords: Risky Behavior, Thrill-Seeking, Addiction, AIDS

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Type of Study: Research | Subject: Clinical Psychiatry