Page No.73-82
Charu Dubey and Meenakshi Arora
Banaras Hindu University
The sedating and arousing central nervous system effects of drugs have long
been inferred to be factor in their illicit use and abuse of addictive substances.
Sensation Seeking is an important global biological based trait of personality related
to substance abuse; specifically preference for a particular drug is, in part, a function
of arousal-seeking and stimulus-screening characteristics. The main objective of
this study was to measure the level of sensation seeking among different kinds of
substance abusers and non-abusers. Indian Adaptation of Sensation Seeking
Scale, form S was used to assess the sensation seeking level of substance abusers
and non-abusers. The study was carried out with four groups of substance abusers
(N=120) namely cannabis, alcohol, heroin and multiple drug along with a control
group (N=120). The results of the study suggested that substance-abused group
tend to had greater arousal seeking tendencies and significantly scored higher on
the Sensation Seeking Scale as compared to non-substance abused group.
Results further suggested that across the four groups of substance abusers multiple
drug abusers scored higher on Thrill and Adventure seeking, Experience Seeking
and Disinhibiton subscales of the SSS as compared to other three groups of
substance abusers. Heroin abusers scored higher on Boredom Susceptibility
subscale of the SSS. Additionally, this study also found a relationship between
type of substance abuse and pattern of substance consumption i.e. frequency,
duration and age of onse
.