Examining the Relationship between Authoritative Parenting Style and Drug Dependence among PWUDs: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy

This study examines the mediation model between authoritative parenting style, self-efficacy, and drug dependence. The hypothesis infers that self-efficacy mediates the relationship between authoritative parenting style and drug dependence among Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) admitted to a rehabilitation center. Data was collected from 104 PWUDs who voluntarily participated in the study with consent after securing approval from the center’s chief hospital. The Drug Use Disorder Identification Test (DUDIT), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Parenting Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) were the tools utilized in this study. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine the demographic characteristics of the sample. Pearson correlation analyses were employed to assess the relationships between authoritative parenting, self-efficacy, and drug use dependence. Thereafter, a mediation analysis was performed to test the proposed model. The results presented an association between authoritative parenting style and self-efficacy, while drug use dependence was negatively correlated with authoritative parenting style. The authoritative parenting style has a direct effect on self-efficacy, while the direct path of the authoritative parenting style and drug dependence is non-significant. Despite not establishing the assumed causal relationship of the model, the insignificance gives light to a nuanced understanding of the complexity of drug use dependency. It paved the way for the need for future research to explore alternative models, delve into additional factors, and explore factors that may influence this relationship in a more favorable light.