The Relationship Between Social Support and Relapse Tendency Among Those Who Struggle With Drug Addiction: Multiple Mediators of Exercise Self-Efficacy and Health-Related Quality of Life

• Published date: 01 January 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00220426231152912
• Author: Dongming Jia,Kai Zhang,Yuming Xu
• Date: 01 January 2024
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Journal of Drug Issues

2024, Vol. 54(1) 120–133

© The Author(s) 2023

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DOI: 10.1177/00220426231152912

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The Relationship Between

Social Support and Relapse

Tendency Among Those Who

Struggle With Drug Addiction:

Multiple Mediators of Exercise

Self-Eff‌icacy and Health-Related

Quality of Life

Dongming Jia

1

, Kai Zhang

2

, and Yuming Xu

3,4

Abstract

Based on social support theory and exercise promotion health theory, we verif‌ied the mediating

role of exercise self-eff‌icacy and health-related quality of life in the relationship between social

support and the relapse tendency of Chinese people who struggle with drug addiction. Samples

who had received traditional Chinese health-promoting exercise interventions over 3 months

were recruited from two drug rehabilitation centres in Zhejiang Province (n= 415). The par-

ticipants completed the Social Support Rating Scale, Exercise Self-Eff‌icacy Scale, Health Survey

Short Form Questionnaire Chinese version, and Relapse Tendency Scale. Correlation analysis

showed signif‌icant positive correlations between social support, exercise self-eff‌icacy, and quality

of life. In contrast, social support, exercise self-eff‌icacy, and quality of life were negatively

correlated with relapse tendency. In addition, intermediary effect analysis showed that social

support has a direct negative predictive effect on relapse tendency in two ways: as an independent

intermediary of exercise self-eff‌icacy and as a chain intermediary of exercise self-eff‌icacy and

quality of life. Good exercise habits and adherence, as well as early establishment of social support,

are benef‌icial not only for reducing craving and relapse behaviour but also for enhancing the

quality of life of people who struggle with drug addiction, thereby facilitating the recovery eff‌icacy

for maintenance.

1

Zhejiang Police Vocational College, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

2

National Police University for Criminal Justice, Baoding, People’s Republic of China

3

Aff‌iliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

4

School of Physical Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author:

Yuming Xu, School of Physical Education, Hangzhou Normal University, NO.2318, Yuhangtang Rd, Yuhang District,

Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, People’s Republic of China.

Email: xuyuming110@126.com