FACTORS AFFECTING REPEATED DRUG ABUSE BEHAVIOURS OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE “SPIRIT OF THE LAND” VOLANTARY REHABILITATION PROGRAM: A CASE STUDY OF A PROVINCE IN EASTERN REGION OF THAILAND

Abstract

This research aims to examine illicit drug abuse behaviours of participants in the “Spirit of the Land” voluntary rehabilitation program in an eastern region province and to study factors affecting such repeated drug abuse behaviours.  The study sample consists of 199 participants in the rehabilitation program during the 2017 fiscal year.  Data were gathered using a questionnaire and statistical analysis utilized frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation and logistic regression.

The results of the study revealed that: 1. drug abuse behaviours of the participants before entry to the rehabilitation program was at a consistently medium level, while after the program, 23.62 percent of the participants repeated to use illicit drugs, at a medium level, and the drug mostly used was amphetamines, and; 2. family relationships, peer group factors, and environmental factors affected repeated drug abuse behaviours of participants in the “Spirit of the Land” voluntary rehabilitation program in an eastern region province at a statistical significant level of .05.