The effect of anti-addiction training on attitudes toward substance users and sense of compassion

The effect of anti-addiction training on attitudes toward substance users and sense of compassion | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The effect of anti-addiction training on attitudes toward substance users and sense of compassion Kemal ER, GULSEN OZCAN This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6315086/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study aims to investigate the impact of anti-addiction education on attitudes and compassion toward individuals with substance use disorders. The research employs a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test control groups. Participants were students aged 20–21 studying at the Faculty of Sports Sciences in a Turkish province during the 2023–2024 academic year. The experimental group comprised 28 students (7 female, 21 male), while the control group included 25 students (5 female, 20 male), totalling 53 participants. The experimental group underwent a 12-week anti-addiction training program, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Compassion and Attitude Scale Toward Individuals Who Use Addictive Substances. Anti-addiction training resulted in a statistically significant improvement in attitudes toward individuals who use substances within the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher compassion scores post-training than the control group (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that targeted training programs may enhance societal sensitivity and compassion, potentially facilitating the reintegration of individuals with substance use disorders. Keywords: Addiction prevention; substance use disorder; Compassion; Education; Society Addiction prevention substance use disorder Compassion Education Society Figures Figure 1 1 Introduction Addiction is a condition of pathological attachment to one or more objects, persons or substances with uncontrollable physical, emotional and social consequences [ 1 ]. Today, addiction is a global problem that causes all societies to pay individual, economic, social and cultural costs. In the study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association on substance abuse and addiction disorders, it is emphasized that addictive disorders show various behavioral, cognitive and psychosocial symptoms and cause various problems at the individual and social levels [ 2 ]. When the studies on smartphone and internet addiction, especially addictive substance use, were examined, it was seen that attitudes toward substance-addicted individuals were generally carried out with healthcare professionals [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. In addition, it has been found that addicts experience individual and social problems. For example, it has been found that alcohol and substance use increases acts of aggression and violence; amphetamine, cocaine and hallucinogens cause aggressive behaviors by weakening the control mechanism of the individual due to their chemical effects. An addicted individual may turn to some criminal behaviors such as extortion, violence, theft, murder and prostitution obtain the substance they are using [ 6 , 7 ]. Especially adolescents with low social acceptance levels tend to be influenced by their peers with high social status who are internet addicts [ 8 ] as internet addiction increases, students' academic achievement decreases, internet addiction increases depressive tendencies such as dislike of distress, procrastination, suppression/denial and inability to tolerate distress [ 9 ] negatively impacting psychological well-being [ 10 ]. Smartphone addicts do less physical activity and their sleep quality decreases [ 11 , 12 , 13 ] are prone to depressive behaviors [ 14 ], and students who engage in insufficient physical activity experience high levels of fear of being without a phone (nomophobia) [ 15 ], excessive use of smartphones poses a risk of mental fatigue, loneliness triggers smartphone addiction [ 16 ] has been identified as a trigger for smartphone addiction When addicted individuals are under the influence of the substance they are addicted to, they often exhibit behaviors that society does not accept, does not approve, and does not comply with the law. For this reason, they are stigmatized as useless, unreliable, dangerous, immoral and irresponsible [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Unfortunately, addicts who are isolated by such exclusion and stigma refuse to access the treatment they need [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. They find the consolation that will make them feel good by taking refuge in the substance they are addicted to. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) [ 23 ] World Drug Report, the global trend of drug use continues to rise. Considering the 2021 data, it is estimated that 1 out of every 17 people aged 15–64 in the world has used drugs in the last 12 months. According to the estimated status of drug use, while there were around 240 million users in 2011, this number increased to 296 million in 2021 (this number corresponds to 5.8% of the global population aged 15–64). When considered alongside population growth, this represents a 23% increase, partially driven by demographic expansion. Drug-related problems are observed on a global scale, but their impact is not uniform. In poorer countries, the fight against drugs continues under more unfavorable conditions. In underdeveloped and under-served communities, the poor, vulnerable and marginalized pay a higher price. In such societies, drug trafficking exacerbates violence and insecurity, and access to and availability of controlled drugs further complicates the situation [ 23 ]. Considering the reasons such as drug-related crimes, traumas experienced by individuals and families and deterioration of social peace and security, this situation reveals the necessity of the struggle of all societies in the world. The UN International Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shared the "2022 World Drug Report" with the public at a meeting organized by the UN Office in Vienna, to which members of the press were invited. In the report, it was stated that the rate of drug use in the world increased by 26 percent between 2010 and 2020, which means that 5.6 percent of the world's population between the ages of 15 and 64 is using drugs. According to the report, there has been a significant increase in the number of people suffering from drug-related disorders and those waiting for treatment services. The number of people suffering from disorders due to drug use has increased to 38.6 million in the last 10 years. In the report, it was also stated that around 284 million individuals worldwide were using drugs in 2020, and it was pointed out that addicts faced serious obstacles in finding treatment opportunities [ 24 ]. Graph 1 below presents data from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) regarding drug availability.. The graph shows the changes in the amount of drugs seized in the period up to 2021, taking 2011 as 100. Analyzing the data from 2015 and 2019, the graph indicates a general increase in drug seizures, but fluctuations in the graph as a whole. Considering the damages caused by drug use to millions of individuals, families and society, it is estimated that it is a significant threat, as can be seen from the situation analyzed in the graph. The fight against addiction is a serious and complex problem that cannot be resolved solely through the will and efforts of addicted individuals. Therefore, there is a need for conscious and sensitive social support for the close environment of addicted individuals, including families, institutions, organizations, and associations dedicated to combating addiction. In this context, compassion plays a crucial role as a fundamental component of social responsibility in a community. Compassion encompasses values such as love, respect, cooperation, tolerance, empathy, non-harmfulness, selflessness, fairness, and justice [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Compassionate people exhibit behaviors such as respect for those who do not live like them, patience, understanding and cooperation [ 25 , 28 , 40 ]. In this context, it is thought that compassion is important in the fight against addiction. As discussed above, addiction and the fight against addiction is an important problem that concerns the people of all countries as well as future generations and requires the organized, strong and decisive support of states. With this study conducted with university students, which can be a small step in the fight against addiction, participating students engaged in a preventive and developmental experience against substance addiction in the process of combating addiction. In addition, it is thought that the education provided improved the participants' feelings of compassion toward substance addicts. On the other hand, it is foreseen that this research will create a database for new projects and studies to be carried out at the level of institutions, organizations, non-governmental organizations or individuals related to addiction and the fight against addiction. In this study, which is detailed in the methodology section below, the effect of anti-addiction training on the sense of compassion toward addicts was investigated. 2 Method This research is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest, control group, in which the subjects are determined under selective conditions. According to [ 29 ], quasi-experimental research resembles experimental studies but lacks full experimental control. In such research designs, groups are not randomly assigned. According to [ 30 ], quasi-experimental research, as in this article, is appropriate in conditions where the individuals to be included in the experiment cannot be randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. To mitigate this limitation, participants were distributed as evenly as possible between the experimental and control groups, considering key demographic factors such as gender and age. In this study, this equal distribution was achieved by taking into account gender, age and student group characteristics. 2.1 Working group The study was conducted in the spring semester of the 2023–2024 academic year with students between the ages of 20–21 studying at a sports sciences faculty in Turkey. The Students from two different classes were randomly selected from among themselves, and it was noted that the students had not received a systematic education about addiction in their previous education life and were not substance addicts. Thus, a total of 53 students (7 females, 21 males), 28 students in the experimental group and 25 students (5 females, 20 males) in the control group constituted the study group. 2.2 Data collection tools In order to collect data in the study, a personal information form was prepared by the researchers. The "Compassion" scale developed by Pommier [ 31 ] and adapted into Turkish by Akdeniz & Deniz [ 32 ] and the "Attitude Scale toward Individuals Using Addictive Substances" developed by Kaylı et al. [ 33 ] (2020) were used. 2.3 Compassion scale Akdeniz & Deniz [ 32 ] adapted the Compassion Scale (CS) developed by Pommier [ 31 ] into Turkish and conducted validity and reliability studies. The four study groups formed for the research included 854 university students (490 female / 364 male). The internal consistency reliability coefficient was .85 for the whole scale. The scale consists of 24 five-point Likert-type items and six dimensions ("caring, indifference, awareness of sharing, disconnection, mindfulness, disconnection"). A higher total score on the scale means a higher sense of compassion. In this study, to determine the compassion levels of the students, the researchers who developed the scale were contacted and it was deemed appropriate to evaluate the scale items over the total score. 2.4 Attitude scale toward individuals using addictive substances The scale study developed by Kaylı et al. [ 33 ] was conducted with the data obtained from 396 people (222 female, 174 male) over the age of eighteen. The scale consists of 27 items in five- point Likert type. The scale is a single-factor scale that is evaluated on a total score. The higher the scores obtained from the scale, the higher the negative attitude toward addictive substance users. The Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale is .923 and it can be said to have strong reliability. In the test-retest phase of the study, 66 undergraduate students took part. Pearsons’s coloration coefficient was found as r = 85. 2.5 Data collection process The research was initiated with the planning of the research topic whose theoretical foundations were examined. Ethics committee permission for the research was obtained by submitting the necessary documents and applying to Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Human Research Ethics Committee in Social Sciences in Bolu, Turkey (Protocol NO. 2023/417). In the first week of the study, the groups of 28 students in the experimental group and 25 students in the control group were determined, the measurement tools to be used in the study were applied to the students in the experimental and control groups as pretests, and the experimental study was started after it was statistically observed that there was no significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05). The researchers actively participated in every stage of the study. The 12-week addiction and combating addiction education program, which was applied to the experimental group two hours a week, was organized within the definition of an elective course. While preparing the program on addiction within the scope of the course, the relevant literature was reviewed, and opinions and suggestions were received from two educators, two psychologists and a police officer working in the narcotics branch. The training incorporated a variety of instructional methods, including lectures, case studies (utilizing internet sources, YouTube videos, and news reports), discussion techniques, question-and-answer sessions, exchange of viewpoints, brainstorming, and interview techniques. In addition, two police officers working in the narcotics branch in the province where the university is located participated in the research as resource persons to give a two-hour training on addictive substances and the prevention and fight against these substances. The control group did not receive any systematic education on addiction. In the 14th week, the same measurement tools administered as pre-tests were re-applied to both the experimental and control groups as post-tests. The subjects included in the training program on addiction and combating addiction applied to the experimental group are presented in Table 1 . Table 1 Addiction and the topics covered in the training program for combating addiction Education Subject 1 Administration of pre-tests to experimental and control groups 2 Understanding addiction: Global and national perspectives 3 Technology addiction, causes, consequences, possible solutions 4 Tobacco addiction: Causes, consequences, and possible solutions 5 Student assignments on tobacco addiction (interviews, internet documents, written documents) 6 Alcohol addiction, causes, consequences, possible solutions 7 Student assignments on alcohol addiction (interviews, internet documents, written documents) 8 Drug addiction, causes, consequences, possible solutions (Presentation by police officers) 9 Student assignments on drug addiction (interviews, internet documents, written documents) 10 The importance of individual awareness in combating addiction 11 The importance of social solidarity in the fight against addiction 12 Student assignments (interviews with addicted individuals, their relatives, news from the internet, confessions of addicts and students' comments) 13 Student assignments (interviews with addicted individuals, their relatives, news from the internet, confessions of addicts and students' comments) 14 Application of post-tests to experimental and control groups 2.6 Data analysis Shapiro Wilks test, one of the normality tests, was used in the study. According to [ 31 ], when Skewness and Kurtosis values are between + 1 and − 1, it can be said that the data are normally distributed and parametric tests can be used. Based on these findings, the dependent and independent samples t-test was used for within-group and between-group comparisons, and Additionally, the Pearson correlation test was applied to measure the relationship between participants' attitudes toward substance addicts and their levels of compassion. 3 Findings Table 2 Comparison of the pre-test attitude scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups toward substance addicts Dependent Variables Group N X̄ Std. df t p Attitude Toward Substance Addicts Experiment 28 66,82 19,06 51 1,739 ,088 Control 25 74,84 13,72 According to Table 2 , there is no significant difference between the attitude scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups toward substance addicts before the anti-addiction training (p > 0.05). Table 3 Comparison of the pre-test scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups on feelings of compassion Dependent Variables Group N X̄ Std. df t p Sense of Compassion Experiment 28 97,18 7,002 51 1,092 ,280 Control 25 94,44 11,01 According to Table 3 , there is no significant difference between the pre-test scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups' feelings of compassion p > 0.05. Table 4 Post-test comparison of the attitude scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups toward substance addicts Dependent Variables Group N X̄ Std df t p Attitude Toward Substance Addicts Experiment 28 69,93 15,55 51 2,99 ,004* Control 25 82,96 16,18 As seen in Table 4 , the participants' attitudes toward substance addicts showed a significant difference in favor of the experimental group after the experiment (p < 0.05). While X̄ =69.93 for the participants in the experimental group, X̄ =82.96 for the participants in the control group. Higher scores on the scale mean higher negative attitudes toward substance users. In other words, the attitudes of the students in the experimental group toward substance addicts turned significantly positive after the experiment. Table 5 Comparison of the post-test scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups on the sense of compassion Dependent Variables Group N X̄ Std. df t p Sense of Compassion Experiment 28 99,14 6,40 51 3,29 ,002* Control 25 91,80 9,66 According to Table 5 , the feelings of compassion of the participants in the experimental group differed significantly compared to the control group (p < 0.05). While X̄ =99.14 for the participants in the experimental group, X̄ =91.80 for the participants in the control group. In other words, students in the experimental group had increased feelings of compassion toward individuals who use addictive substances. Table 6 Post-test comparison of participants' attitudes toward substance addicts according to their gender Dependent Variables Group N X̄ Std. df t p Attitude Toward Substance Addicts Woman 12 78,17 20,22 51 ,480 ,633 Male 41 75,46 16,19 As seen in Table 6 , whether the participants were male or female did not create a significant difference in their attitudes toward substance addicts after the experiment (p > 0.05). Women's X̄ =78.17, men's X̄ =75.46. Table 7 Post-test comparison of compassion scores according to participants' gender Dependent Variables Group N X̄ Std. df t p Sense of Compassion Woman 12 94,17 11,10 51 ,671 ,506 Male 41 96,12 8,17 As seen in Table 7 , whether the participants were male or female did not cause a significant difference in their feelings of compassion after the experiment (p > 0.05). Women's X̄ =94.17, men's X̄ =96.12. Table 8 The relationship between the participants in the experimental and control groups' attitudes toward substance addicts and sense of compassion Attitude toward addicts Sense of Compassion Pearson Correlation 1 ,053 Attitudes toward Substance Addicts Sig. (2-tailed) ,704 N 53 53 Sense of Compassion Pearson Correlation ,053 1 Sig. (2-tailed) ,704 N 53 53 According to Table 8 , there is a low level positive relationship between the participants' attitudes toward substance addicts and their feelings of compassion (p > 0.05). 4 Conclusion and discussion The rising prevalence of substance addiction, particularly among young individuals and working adults, has prompted governments worldwide to integrate addiction prevention into their long-term policy agendas. Efforts to combat addiction should prioritize preventive and protective measures rather than focusing solely on the reintegration of individuals who have experienced significant physical, mental, and social harm due to substance use. In this sense, modular studies with continuity gain importance [ 32 ]. It is thought that this study positively improved the participating students' attitudes and feelings of compassion toward accepting, understanding and improving the life skills of substance-addicted individuals, as well as being a preventive sample study on combating addiction. The study determined that, as a result of the 12-week training, students in the experimental group exhibited a statistically significant increase in their attitudes and compassion toward individuals using addictive substances compared to those in the control group. The researchers anticipated this result, and it is consistent with findings from some studies in the literature. Indeed, the prevention program developed by the Green Crescent in 2014 under the leadership of the Turkish Fight Against Addiction (TFAA) Education Program aims to inform and raise awareness among society, particularly children and young people, about tobacco, alcohol, substance, and technology addiction. This program continues to be implemented with the Ministry of National Education, public institutions, private organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The program, which was prepared by developing different contents suitable for the developmental characteristics and tendencies of each age under the consultancy of the Green Crescent Scientific Board, has been accepted as an accredited training program by the High Council for Combating Addiction (UNYK) [ 33 ]. A study conducted by Alfunnafi et al. (2021) also supports the findings of this research. The study examined the impact of group therapy and assertiveness training on adolescents' substance use refusal skills. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was employed without a control group. A total of 87 high school adolescents participated in the study. The results indicated a significant improvement in substance use refusal skills following group therapy and assertiveness training. Based on these findings, the study suggests that such training programs should be incorporated into adolescent research to enhance substance use refusal skills [ 34 ]. On the other hand, in a trial in Nepal, which was also registered under the Clinical Trials Regulation, a school-based education program was developed to prevent substance use at an early age [ 32 ]. In another study, Rahmati [ 35 ] applied an 11-session psychosocial empowerment program for 70 days to youth aged 14–16 in Iran and found that the negative attitudes of the experimental group toward substance use increased significantly compared to the youth in the control group. In another study conducted to apply organizational and psychological models in preventing and overcoming the addictive tendency of young people, the effectiveness of individual and group interactive forms of the modular content system was proved. The study emphasized that preventive pedagogical activity should be long-term, complex, and complementary [ 36 ]. In another study, adolescents receiving treatment at the Volatile Substance Treatment Research and Education Center were given three sessions of individual training on addiction, the effects of volatile substances and coping with substance cravings, and as a result of the research, the level of knowledge about substance addiction and treatment motivation of the experimental group consisting of 31 people was found to be statistically significantly different from the control group [ 37 ]. These studies prove the importance of education in preventing all kinds of addiction. Again, in a study conducted by [ 38 ], participants were given training on internet and tobacco addiction during a 12-week training period. In this study, it was revealed how effective Turkey's anti-addiction training is at the level of knowledge in preventing internet and tobacco addiction. The research study group consisted of 731 students studying in the 3rd and 4th grades in two public primary schools within the Ministry of National Education, and the research data were obtained with pre-tests and post-tests prepared to determine the effectiveness of TFAA education in the field. As a result of the analysis, it was observed that the Tobacco Addiction and Technology Addiction training modules were effective, and there was an increase in the post-test total scores of the students one month after the training. Another experimental study measuring the effectiveness of education on technology, tobacco, and healthy living was conducted with 550 middle school students. According to the post-test data of the experimental group, which was trained in 3 modules/8 hours at each grade level, it was determined that the training had a preventive effect on these addictions [ 39 ]. Another dimension of the study here is to analyze the effect of anti-addiction training on the participants' sense of compassion. The well-being of each individual in the society, which should be seen as a large family, is important for the life safety and health of other individuals. In this context, the sense of compassion [ 25 , 26 , 43 ], which has spiritual content such as tolerance, love, respect, empathy, cooperation, and kindness, is thought to be effective in the rehabilitation and socialization of substance addicts. As a result of this study, the significant positive increase in the feelings of compassion of the participants in the experimental group compared to the control group is seen as a problem-solving contribution to the fight against addiction. The results of another study conducted to determine the attitudes of non-addictive substance users toward substance users prove the importance of compassion in the fight against addiction. The findings of the study indicate that individuals living in the society see substance users as dangerous, problematic and unreliable, and that they exhibit insensitive, exclusionary and negative attitudes toward them [ 41 ]. However, such an attitude is not only hurtful in human terms but also worrisome in terms of social solidarity, peace and welfare in the long run. On the other hand, the results of the study proving that the compassion-focused therapy approach has a healing effect on individuals who have been traumatized in various ways [ 42 ] show how effective the sense of compassion is in healing each other. Another result of the research here is that the anti-addiction training did not cause a significant difference in the participants' attitudes toward substance addicts and their feelings of compassion according to their gender. Although there is no one-to-one research result related to this research finding, research and literature information is proving that women are more compassionate than men. The last finding of this study is that there is a positive and weak relationship between the participants' attitudes toward substance addicts and their feelings of compassion. 4.1 Limitations The most important limitation of this study is that since it is an experimental study, a small number of participants were reached (28 participant students). In addition, the fact that the participants were university students is also seen among the limitations. However, if the same training had been given to the uneducated part of society, the training would have been more meaningful. 4.2 Recommendations This research has shown that preventive education activities in the fight against addiction will increase social acceptance and cohesion in countries thanks to the positive attitudes it will create in individuals, and will prevent possible destructive and sad problems in the future. The biggest limitation of this research is that it was conducted with a small working group and could not show continuity. However, such problems, which concern people all over the world, can be supported by continuous, principled, consistent, disciplined and cooperative studies with the support of private and public institutions and organizations. Since experimental studies such as the one here cannot be conducted with a large number of individuals, it is not possible to reach the generalizing results expected from scientific studies. For this reason, conducting a large number of studies on the subject may contribute to making the results in the field of research more remarkable. Declarations Ethics approval Research adheres to the ethical guidelines and standards established by the Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Human Research Ethics Committee in Social Sciences in Bolu, Turkey. Consent to participate Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Disclosures On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest. Data availability The data that has been used is confidential. References İ. Balcıoğlu, Y. Abanoz, Madde bağımlılığı, intihar, sanık psikolojisi, Dirim Tıp Gazetesi 84 (2009) 15–20. American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, DSM-5-TR, American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787 . M. Lindberg, C. Vergara, R. Wild-Wesley, C. Gruman, Physicians-in-training attitudes toward caring for and working with patients with alcohol and drug abuse diagnoses, Southern Medical Journal 99 (2006) 28–35. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.smj.0000197514.83606.95 . L.C. Van Boekel, E.P.M. Brouwers, J. Van Weeghel, H.F.L. Garretsen, Stigma among health professionals towards patients with substance use disorders and its consequences for healthcare delivery: Systematic review, Drug and Alcohol Dependence 131 (2013) 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.02.018 . S.E. Wakeman, G. Pham-Kanter, K. Donelan, Attitudes, practices, and preparedness to care for patients with substance use disorder: Results from a survey of general internists, Substance Abuse 37 (2016) 635–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2016.1187240 . P.J. Goldstein, The drugs / violence nexus: A tripartite conceptual framework, Journal of Drug Issues 15 (1985) 493–506. https://doi.org/10.1177/002204268501500406 . J.R. Monforte, W.U. Spitz, Narcotic abuse among homicide victims in detroit, J. Forensic Sci. 20 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS10257J . N. Zhou, X. Fang, Beyond peer contagion: Unique and interactive effects of multiple peer influences on Internet addiction among Chinese adolescents, Computers in Human Behavior 50 (2015) 231–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.03.083 . Ş. Aslan, The role of cognitive defusion, depression, mindfulness and experientıal avoidance on internet addiction among university students, Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, 2020. P. Göktaş, F. Öztürk, Üniversite öğrencilerinin internet bağımlılığı ile psikolojik iyi oluş düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi, Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Vizyoner Dergisi 13 (2022) 1097–1116. https://doi.org/10.21076/vizyoner.1070004 . S. Haripriya, S.E. Samuel, M. Megha, Correlation between smartphone addiction, sleep quality and physical activity among young adults, JCDR 13 (2019) 5–9. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2019/42168.13212 . S.-E. Kim, J.-W. Kim, Y.-S. Jee, Relationship between smartphone addiction and physical activity in Chinese international students in Korea, JBA 4 (2015) 200–205. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.4.2015.028 . G. Yang, Y. Li, S. Liu, C. Liu, C. Jia, S. Wang, Physical activity influences the mobile phone addiction among Chinese undergraduates: The moderating effect of exercise type, JBA 10 (2021) 799–810. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2021.00059 . S. Niu, Mobile phone addiction, self-control, physical exercise, and depression: A moderated mediation model, Journal of Psychology in Africa 33 (2023) 235–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2023.2195709 . M.S. Torlak, H. Gercek, B.S. Ünüvar, Relationship between Physical activity and nomophobia in university students: A cross- sectional study, ADDICTA: The Turkish Journal on Addictions 9 (2022) 176–181. https://doi.org/10.5152/ADDICTA.2022.22010 . A. Mert, G. Özdemir, Yalnızlık duygusunun akıllı telefon bağımlılığına etkisi, OPUS Uluslararası Toplum Araştırmaları Dergisi 8 (2018) 88–107. https://doi.org/10.26466/opus.382285 . E.C. Meltzer, A. Suppes, S. Burns, A. Shuman, A. Orfanos, C.V. Sturiano, P. Charney, J.J. Fins, Stigmatization of substance use disorders among internal medicine residents, Substance Abuse 34 (2013) 356–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2013.815143 . B.A. Pescosolido, J. Monahan, B.G. Link, A. Stueve, S. Kikuzawa, The public’s view of the competence, dangerousness, and need for legal coercion of persons with mental health problems., Am J Public Health 89 (1999) 1339–1345. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.89.9.1339 . P. Peretti-Watel, S. Legleye, R. Guignard, F. Beck, Cigarette smoking as a stigma: Evidence from France, International Journal of Drug Policy 25 (2014) 282–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2013.08.009 . J.B. Luoma, M.P. Twohig, T. Waltz, S.C. Hayes, N. Roget, M. Padilla, G. Fisher, An investigation of stigma in individuals receiving treatment for substance abuse, Addictive Behaviors 32 (2007) 1331–1346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.09.008 . K. Crapanzano, R. Hammarlund, B. Ahmad, N. Hunsinger, R. Kullar, The association between perceived stigma and substance use disorder treatment outcomes: a review, SAR Volume 10 (2018) 1–12. https://doi.org/10.2147/SAR.S183252 . C. Probst, J. Manthey, A. Martinez, J. Rehm, Alcohol use disorder severity and reported reasons not to seek treatment: a cross-sectional study in European primary care practices, Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 10 (2015) 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-015-0028-z . United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2023, United Nations, Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar, 2023. A. Kıyağan, BM: Dünyada 2020’de 284 milyon kişi uyuşturucu madde kullandı, (2024). S. Avşaroğlu, E. Koyuncu, İnsanda merhamet duygusu ve değer olarak merhametli tutum, Uluslararası Medeniyet Çalışmaları Dergisi 3 (2018) 16–37. P. Gilbert, K. McEwan, L. Gibbons, S. Chotai, J. Duarte, M. Matos, Fears of compassion and happiness in relation to alexithymia, mindfulness, and self-criticism, Psychol Psychother 85 (2012) 374–390. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8341.2011.02046.x . T. Gül, 4–6 yaş dönemi çocuklarda merhamet eğitimi, Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi, 2019. Ö. Çevi̇k, Merhametin üç yönelimi ile tanımlanması, Humanistic Perspective 4 (2022) 249–264. https://doi.org/10.47793/hp.1116461 . A. Balcı, Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma: Yöntem, teknik ve ilkeler, Pegem Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2013. S. Gürbüz, F. Şahin, Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntemleri, Seçkin Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2016. Ş. Büyüköztürk, Veri analizi el kitabı, Pegem Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2007. S. Shrestha, B. Velayudhan, S. Yn, V.L. R, J.B. Khattri, Effectiveness of School-based Substance abuse Prevention Programme (SSPP) on awareness, attitude, peer pressure, and life skills among adolescents in selected public schools of Pokhara, Nepal–A cluster randomized trial protocol, Mental Health & Prevention 34 (2024) 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2024.200342 . Yeşilay, Türkiye Bağımlılıkla Mücadele Eğitim Programı (TBM). A.F. Rizzal, B.A. Keliat, I.Y. Wardani, Save the future: Enhancing substance abuse refusal skill in adolescent, Enfermería Clínica 31 (2021) 405–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcli.2020.09.034 . R. Rahmati, The effect of empowerment program on students’ attitude towards addiction, Journal of Advanced Pharmacy Education & Research 8 (2018) 36–39. G.G. Parfilova, S.V. Velieva, Preventive work with teenagers who are prone to addiction, in terms of educational space, International Journal of Environmental & Science Education 11 (2016) 1901–1912. https:// doi: 10.12973/ijese.2016.564a . S. Coşkun, K. Öğel, Uçucu madde kullanan ergenlerde bilinçlendirme eğitiminin etkinliği, Bağımlılık Dergisi 9 (2008) 114–118. G. Yılmış, İnternet ve tütün bağımlılığını önlemede Türkiye bağımlılıkla mücadele eğitimi’nin ilkokul 3. Ve 4. Sınıf öğrencileri üzerindeki etkisi, Trakya Üniversitesi, 2019. https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezDetay.jsp?id=3HPjd3 TjmJpMOnkipwMugQ&no=Uo7Mf4Gu2rE_ZRwwcoZdjg (accessed September 21, 2024). C. Akdeni̇zli̇, Ortaokul düzeyinde uygulanan Türkiye bağımlılıkla mücadele eğitiminin (TBM) etkililiği ve öğrencilerin eğitim ile ilgili görüşleri, Ege Üniversitesi, 2019. https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp . K.D. Neff, E. Pommier, The Relationship between Self-compassion and other-focused concern among college undergraduates, community adults, and practicing meditators, Self and Identity 12 (2013) 160–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2011.649546 . İ. Demirel, İlçelerde yaşayan halkın madde bağımlılığına yönelik tutumunun değerlendirilmesi: Bursa Osmangazi ilçesi örneği, Yalova Üniversitesi, 2022. https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp . B. Dalgalı, Merhamet odaklı terapi yaklaşımı ve uygulamaları üzerine bir değerlendirme, Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi, 2019. https://acikerisim.uludag.edu.tr/items/74a20436-7947-47ae-96e8-296bd73131db . E.A. Pommier, The compassion scale. Dissertation abstracts international section, Humanities and Social Sciences 72 (2011). https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=2454831 . Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6315086","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":434484223,"identity":"80829d6b-f82e-4c59-91d3-91a0f8c4c940","order_by":0,"name":"Kemal ER","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACCRDxgIFBDlnQgLCWBAYGY2QBA7AQIS2JDURrkWzvTvyQUHEvvZ//8LHHvG336hjYm7dJMP64h1OLNM/ZzRIJZ4pzZ85ISzfmbSuWYOA5VibBkFCMU4ucRO4GicS2hNwNN3jMpHnbEiQYJHLMgFpwu0xO/u3mH4n/EtLtz5//BtEi/wa/FmkJ3m0SiQ0JCQYMOWxQW3jwa5Hsyd1mkXAswXDGjTQzyTnnEiTbeNKKLRLScGuROH52840PNQny/P2Hn0m8KUvg52c/vPHGBxvcWlAAEw+QYAOxiNTAwMD4g1iVo2AUjIJRMKIAAGfoTDUh8eZoAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Istanbul Esenyurt University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kemal","middleName":"","lastName":"ER","suffix":""},{"id":434484224,"identity":"831c10cd-1a44-4dd1-9a1b-94a5e029eda4","order_by":1,"name":"GULSEN OZCAN","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"GULSEN","middleName":"","lastName":"OZCAN","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-03-26 20:08:10","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6315086/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6315086/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":79579920,"identity":"02f3f105-8c23-4c5d-90d1-d552d1a32650","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-03-31 11:43:37","extension":"jpeg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":463066,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eDrug seizures in Europe [23].\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6315086/v1/7639a922c21bca312b814547.jpeg"},{"id":81148754,"identity":"970adc4d-1f9a-4ae9-8c2e-c6528090576f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-22 19:01:33","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1172272,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6315086/v1/bf524817-ec8f-46e3-bde9-dc98091d38c3.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The effect of anti-addiction training on attitudes toward substance users and sense of compassion","fulltext":[{"header":"1 Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eAddiction is a condition of pathological attachment to one or more objects, persons or substances with uncontrollable physical, emotional and social consequences [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. Today, addiction is a global problem that causes all societies to pay individual, economic, social and cultural costs. In the study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association on substance abuse and addiction disorders, it is emphasized that addictive disorders show various behavioral, cognitive and psychosocial symptoms and cause various problems at the individual and social levels [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen the studies on smartphone and internet addiction, especially addictive substance use, were examined, it was seen that attitudes toward substance-addicted individuals were generally carried out with healthcare professionals [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. In addition, it has been found that addicts experience individual and social problems. For example, it has been found that alcohol and substance use increases acts of aggression and violence; amphetamine, cocaine and hallucinogens cause aggressive behaviors by weakening the control mechanism of the individual due to their chemical effects. An addicted individual may turn to some criminal behaviors such as extortion, violence, theft, murder and prostitution obtain the substance they are using [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. Especially adolescents with low social acceptance levels tend to be influenced by their peers with high social status who are internet addicts [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e] as internet addiction increases, students' academic achievement decreases, internet addiction increases depressive tendencies such as dislike of distress, procrastination, suppression/denial and inability to tolerate distress [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e] negatively impacting psychological well-being [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. Smartphone addicts do less physical activity and their sleep quality decreases [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e] are prone to depressive behaviors [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e], and students who engage in insufficient physical activity experience high levels of fear of being without a phone (nomophobia) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e], excessive use of smartphones poses a risk of mental fatigue, loneliness triggers smartphone addiction [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e] has been identified as a trigger for smartphone addiction\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen addicted individuals are under the influence of the substance they are addicted to, they often exhibit behaviors that society does not accept, does not approve, and does not comply with the law. For this reason, they are stigmatized as useless, unreliable, dangerous, immoral and irresponsible [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e]. Unfortunately, addicts who are isolated by such exclusion and stigma refuse to access the treatment they need [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]. They find the consolation that will make them feel good by taking refuge in the substance they are addicted to.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e] World Drug Report, the global trend of drug use continues to rise. Considering the 2021 data, it is estimated that 1 out of every 17 people aged 15\u0026ndash;64 in the world has used drugs in the last 12 months. According to the estimated status of drug use, while there were around 240\u0026nbsp;million users in 2011, this number increased to 296\u0026nbsp;million in 2021 (this number corresponds to 5.8% of the global population aged 15\u0026ndash;64). When considered alongside population growth, this represents a 23% increase, partially driven by demographic expansion.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDrug-related problems are observed on a global scale, but their impact is not uniform. In poorer countries, the fight against drugs continues under more unfavorable conditions. In underdeveloped and under-served communities, the poor, vulnerable and marginalized pay a higher price. In such societies, drug trafficking exacerbates violence and insecurity, and access to and availability of controlled drugs further complicates the situation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. Considering the reasons such as drug-related crimes, traumas experienced by individuals and families and deterioration of social peace and security, this situation reveals the necessity of the struggle of all societies in the world.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe UN International Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shared the \"2022 World Drug Report\" with the public at a meeting organized by the UN Office in Vienna, to which members of the press were invited. In the report, it was stated that the rate of drug use in the world increased by 26 percent between 2010 and 2020, which means that 5.6 percent of the world's population between the ages of 15 and 64 is using drugs. According to the report, there has been a significant increase in the number of people suffering from drug-related disorders and those waiting for treatment services. The number of people suffering from disorders due to drug use has increased to 38.6\u0026nbsp;million in the last 10 years. In the report, it was also stated that around 284\u0026nbsp;million individuals worldwide were using drugs in 2020, and it was pointed out that addicts faced serious obstacles in finding treatment opportunities [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGraph 1 below presents data from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) regarding drug availability.. The graph shows the changes in the amount of drugs seized in the period up to 2021, taking 2011 as 100. Analyzing the data from 2015 and 2019, the graph indicates a general increase in drug seizures, but fluctuations in the graph as a whole. Considering the damages caused by drug use to millions of individuals, families and society, it is estimated that it is a significant threat, as can be seen from the situation analyzed in the graph.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe fight against addiction is a serious and complex problem that cannot be resolved solely through the will and efforts of addicted individuals. Therefore, there is a need for conscious and sensitive social support for the close environment of addicted individuals, including families, institutions, organizations, and associations dedicated to combating addiction. In this context, compassion plays a crucial role as a fundamental component of social responsibility in a community. Compassion encompasses values such as love, respect, cooperation, tolerance, empathy, non-harmfulness, selflessness, fairness, and justice [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]. Compassionate people exhibit behaviors such as respect for those who do not live like them, patience, understanding and cooperation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]. In this context, it is thought that compassion is important in the fight against addiction.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs discussed above, addiction and the fight against addiction is an important problem that concerns the people of all countries as well as future generations and requires the organized, strong and decisive support of states. With this study conducted with university students, which can be a small step in the fight against addiction, participating students engaged in a preventive and developmental experience against substance addiction in the process of combating addiction. In addition, it is thought that the education provided improved the participants' feelings of compassion toward substance addicts. On the other hand, it is foreseen that this research will create a database for new projects and studies to be carried out at the level of institutions, organizations, non-governmental organizations or individuals related to addiction and the fight against addiction. In this study, which is detailed in the methodology section below, the effect of anti-addiction training on the sense of compassion toward addicts was investigated.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2 Method","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis research is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest, control group, in which the subjects are determined under selective conditions. According to [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e], quasi-experimental research resembles experimental studies but lacks full experimental control. In such research designs, groups are not randomly assigned. According to [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e], quasi-experimental research, as in this article, is appropriate in conditions where the individuals to be included in the experiment cannot be randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. To mitigate this limitation, participants were distributed as evenly as possible between the experimental and control groups, considering key demographic factors such as gender and age. In this study, this equal distribution was achieved by taking into account gender, age and student group characteristics.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1 Working group\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study was conducted in the spring semester of the 2023\u0026ndash;2024 academic year with students between the ages of 20\u0026ndash;21 studying at a sports sciences faculty in Turkey. The Students from two different classes were randomly selected from among themselves, and it was noted that the students had not received a systematic education about addiction in their previous education life and were not substance addicts. Thus, a total of 53 students (7 females, 21 males), 28 students in the experimental group and 25 students (5 females, 20 males) in the control group constituted the study group.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.2 Data collection tools\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn order to collect data in the study, a personal information form was prepared by the researchers. The \"Compassion\" scale developed by Pommier [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e] and adapted into Turkish by Akdeniz \u0026amp; Deniz [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e] and the \"Attitude Scale toward Individuals Using Addictive Substances\" developed by Kaylı et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e] (2020) were used.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.3 Compassion scale\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAkdeniz \u0026amp; Deniz [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e] adapted the Compassion Scale (CS) developed by Pommier [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e] into Turkish and conducted validity and reliability studies. The four study groups formed for the research included 854 university students (490 female / 364 male). The internal consistency reliability coefficient was .85 for the whole scale. The scale consists of 24 five-point Likert-type items and six dimensions (\"caring, indifference, awareness of sharing, disconnection, mindfulness, disconnection\"). A higher total score on the scale means a higher sense of compassion. In this study, to determine the compassion levels of the students, the researchers who developed the scale were contacted and it was deemed appropriate to evaluate the scale items over the total score.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.4 Attitude scale toward individuals using addictive substances\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe scale study developed by Kaylı et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e] was conducted with the data obtained from 396 people (222 female, 174 male) over the age of eighteen. The scale consists of 27 items in five- point Likert type. The scale is a single-factor scale that is evaluated on a total score. The higher the scores obtained from the scale, the higher the negative attitude toward addictive substance users. The Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale is .923 and it can be said to have strong reliability. In the test-retest phase of the study, 66 undergraduate students took part. Pearsons\u0026rsquo;s coloration coefficient was found as r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;85.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.5 Data collection process\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe research was initiated with the planning of the research topic whose theoretical foundations were examined. Ethics committee permission for the research was obtained by submitting the necessary documents and applying to Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Human Research Ethics Committee in Social Sciences in Bolu, Turkey (Protocol NO. 2023/417). In the first week of the study, the groups of 28 students in the experimental group and 25 students in the control group were determined, the measurement tools to be used in the study were applied to the students in the experimental and control groups as pretests, and the experimental study was started after it was statistically observed that there was no significant difference between the groups (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). The researchers actively participated in every stage of the study. The 12-week addiction and combating addiction education program, which was applied to the experimental group two hours a week, was organized within the definition of an elective course. While preparing the program on addiction within the scope of the course, the relevant literature was reviewed, and opinions and suggestions were received from two educators, two psychologists and a police officer working in the narcotics branch. The training incorporated a variety of instructional methods, including lectures, case studies (utilizing internet sources, YouTube videos, and news reports), discussion techniques, question-and-answer sessions, exchange of viewpoints, brainstorming, and interview techniques. In addition, two police officers working in the narcotics branch in the province where the university is located participated in the research as resource persons to give a two-hour training on addictive substances and the prevention and fight against these substances. The control group did not receive any systematic education on addiction. In the 14th week, the same measurement tools administered as pre-tests were re-applied to both the experimental and control groups as post-tests. The subjects included in the training program on addiction and combating addiction applied to the experimental group are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAddiction and the topics covered in the training program for combating addiction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEducation Subject\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdministration of pre-tests to experimental and control groups\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnderstanding addiction: Global and national perspectives\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTechnology addiction, causes, consequences, possible solutions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTobacco addiction: Causes, consequences, and possible solutions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent assignments on tobacco addiction (interviews, internet documents, written documents)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlcohol addiction, causes, consequences, possible solutions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent assignments on alcohol addiction (interviews, internet documents, written documents)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDrug addiction, causes, consequences, possible solutions (Presentation by police officers)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent assignments on drug addiction (interviews, internet documents, written documents)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe importance of individual awareness in combating addiction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe importance of social solidarity in the fight against addiction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent assignments (interviews with addicted individuals, their relatives, news from the internet, confessions of addicts and students' comments)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent assignments (interviews with addicted individuals, their relatives, news from the internet, confessions of addicts and students' comments)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eApplication of post-tests to experimental and control groups\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.6 Data analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eShapiro Wilks test, one of the normality tests, was used in the study. According to [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e], when Skewness and Kurtosis values are between +\u0026thinsp;1 and \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1, it can be said that the data are normally distributed and parametric tests can be used. Based on these findings, the dependent and independent samples t-test was used for within-group and between-group comparisons, and Additionally, the Pearson correlation test was applied to measure the relationship between participants' attitudes toward substance addicts and their levels of compassion.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3 Findings","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComparison of the pre-test attitude scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups toward substance addicts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"9\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDependent Variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX̄\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttitude Toward Substance\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAddicts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperiment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66,82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19,06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1,739\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,088\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eControl\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74,84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13,72\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, there is no significant difference between the attitude scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups toward substance addicts before the anti-addiction training (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComparison of the pre-test scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups on feelings of compassion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDependent Variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX̄\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSense of Compassion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperiment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97,18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7,002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1,092\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,280\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eControl\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94,44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11,01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, there is no significant difference between the pre-test scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups' feelings of compassion p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-test comparison of the attitude scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups toward substance addicts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDependent Variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX̄\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttitude Toward Substance Addicts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperiment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69,93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15,55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2,99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,004*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eControl\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e82,96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16,18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs seen in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, the participants' attitudes toward substance addicts showed a significant difference in favor of the experimental group after the experiment (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). While X̄ =69.93 for the participants in the experimental group, X̄ =82.96 for the participants in the control group. Higher scores on the scale mean higher negative attitudes toward substance users. In other words, the attitudes of the students in the experimental group toward substance addicts turned significantly positive after the experiment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComparison of the post-test scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups on the sense of compassion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"9\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDependent Variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX̄\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSense of Compassion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperiment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99,14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6,40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3,29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,002*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eControl\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91,80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9,66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, the feelings of compassion of the participants in the experimental group differed significantly compared to the control group (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). While X̄ =99.14 for the participants in the experimental group, X̄ =91.80 for the participants in the control group. In other words, students in the experimental group had increased feelings of compassion toward individuals who use addictive substances.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-test comparison of participants' attitudes toward substance addicts according to their gender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDependent Variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX̄\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttitude Toward Substance Addicts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWoman\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e78,17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20,22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,480\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,633\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75,46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16,19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs seen in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, whether the participants were male or female did not create a significant difference in their attitudes toward substance addicts after the experiment (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Women's X̄ =78.17, men's X̄ =75.46.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab7\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 7\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-test comparison of compassion scores according to participants' gender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDependent Variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX̄\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSense of Compassion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWoman\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94,17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11,10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,671\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,506\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e96,12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8,17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs seen in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, whether the participants were male or female did not cause a significant difference in their feelings of compassion after the experiment (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Women's X̄ =94.17, men's X̄ =96.12.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab8\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 8\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe relationship between the participants in the experimental and control groups' attitudes toward substance addicts and sense of compassion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttitude toward addicts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSense of Compassion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePearson Correlation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,053\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttitudes toward Substance Addicts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSig. (2-tailed)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,704\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSense of Compassion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePearson Correlation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,053\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSig. (2-tailed)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e,704\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab8\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, there is a low level positive relationship between the participants' attitudes toward substance addicts and their feelings of compassion (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4 Conclusion and discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe rising prevalence of substance addiction, particularly among young individuals and working adults, has prompted governments worldwide to integrate addiction prevention into their long-term policy agendas. Efforts to combat addiction should prioritize preventive and protective measures rather than focusing solely on the reintegration of individuals who have experienced significant physical, mental, and social harm due to substance use. In this sense, modular studies with continuity gain importance [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is thought that this study positively improved the participating students' attitudes and feelings of compassion toward accepting, understanding and improving the life skills of substance-addicted individuals, as well as being a preventive sample study on combating addiction.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study determined that, as a result of the 12-week training, students in the experimental group exhibited a statistically significant increase in their attitudes and compassion toward individuals using addictive substances compared to those in the control group. The researchers anticipated this result, and it is consistent with findings from some studies in the literature. Indeed, the prevention program developed by the Green Crescent in 2014 under the leadership of the Turkish Fight Against Addiction (TFAA) Education Program aims to inform and raise awareness among society, particularly children and young people, about tobacco, alcohol, substance, and technology addiction. This program continues to be implemented with the Ministry of National Education, public institutions, private organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The program, which was prepared by developing different contents suitable for the developmental characteristics and tendencies of each age under the consultancy of the Green Crescent Scientific Board, has been accepted as an accredited training program by the High Council for Combating Addiction (UNYK) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA study conducted by Alfunnafi et al. (2021) also supports the findings of this research. The study examined the impact of group therapy and assertiveness training on adolescents' substance use refusal skills. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was employed without a control group. A total of 87 high school adolescents participated in the study. The results indicated a significant improvement in substance use refusal skills following group therapy and assertiveness training. Based on these findings, the study suggests that such training programs should be incorporated into adolescent research to enhance substance use refusal skills [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]. On the other hand, in a trial in Nepal, which was also registered under the Clinical Trials Regulation, a school-based education program was developed to prevent substance use at an early age [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. In another study, Rahmati [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e] applied an 11-session psychosocial empowerment program for 70 days to youth aged 14\u0026ndash;16 in Iran and found that the negative attitudes of the experimental group toward substance use increased significantly compared to the youth in the control group.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn another study conducted to apply organizational and psychological models in preventing and overcoming the addictive tendency of young people, the effectiveness of individual and group interactive forms of the modular content system was proved. The study emphasized that preventive pedagogical activity should be long-term, complex, and complementary [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]. In another study, adolescents receiving treatment at the Volatile Substance Treatment Research and Education Center were given three sessions of individual training on addiction, the effects of volatile substances and coping with substance cravings, and as a result of the research, the level of knowledge about substance addiction and treatment motivation of the experimental group consisting of 31 people was found to be statistically significantly different from the control group [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]. These studies prove the importance of education in preventing all kinds of addiction.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAgain, in a study conducted by [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e], participants were given training on internet and tobacco addiction during a 12-week training period. In this study, it was revealed how effective Turkey's anti-addiction training is at the level of knowledge in preventing internet and tobacco addiction. The research study group consisted of 731 students studying in the 3rd and 4th grades in two public primary schools within the Ministry of National Education, and the research data were obtained with pre-tests and post-tests prepared to determine the effectiveness of TFAA education in the field. As a result of the analysis, it was observed that the Tobacco Addiction and Technology Addiction training modules were effective, and there was an increase in the post-test total scores of the students one month after the training. Another experimental study measuring the effectiveness of education on technology, tobacco, and healthy living was conducted with 550 middle school students. According to the post-test data of the experimental group, which was trained in 3 modules/8 hours at each grade level, it was determined that the training had a preventive effect on these addictions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnother dimension of the study here is to analyze the effect of anti-addiction training on the participants' sense of compassion. The well-being of each individual in the society, which should be seen as a large family, is important for the life safety and health of other individuals. In this context, the sense of compassion [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e], which has spiritual content such as tolerance, love, respect, empathy, cooperation, and kindness, is thought to be effective in the rehabilitation and socialization of substance addicts. As a result of this study, the significant positive increase in the feelings of compassion of the participants in the experimental group compared to the control group is seen as a problem-solving contribution to the fight against addiction.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of another study conducted to determine the attitudes of non-addictive substance users toward substance users prove the importance of compassion in the fight against addiction. The findings of the study indicate that individuals living in the society see substance users as dangerous, problematic and unreliable, and that they exhibit insensitive, exclusionary and negative attitudes toward them [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e]. However, such an attitude is not only hurtful in human terms but also worrisome in terms of social solidarity, peace and welfare in the long run. On the other hand, the results of the study proving that the compassion-focused therapy approach has a healing effect on individuals who have been traumatized in various ways [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e] show how effective the sense of compassion is in healing each other.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnother result of the research here is that the anti-addiction training did not cause a significant difference in the participants' attitudes toward substance addicts and their feelings of compassion according to their gender. Although there is no one-to-one research result related to this research finding, research and literature information is proving that women are more compassionate than men. The last finding of this study is that there is a positive and weak relationship between the participants' attitudes toward substance addicts and their feelings of compassion.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e4.1 Limitations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe most important limitation of this study is that since it is an experimental study, a small number of participants were reached (28 participant students). In addition, the fact that the participants were university students is also seen among the limitations. However, if the same training had been given to the uneducated part of society, the training would have been more meaningful.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e4.2 Recommendations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis research has shown that preventive education activities in the fight against addiction will increase social acceptance and cohesion in countries thanks to the positive attitudes it will create in individuals, and will prevent possible destructive and sad problems in the future.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe biggest limitation of this research is that it was conducted with a small working group and could not show continuity. However, such problems, which concern people all over the world, can be supported by continuous, principled, consistent, disciplined and cooperative studies with the support of private and public institutions and organizations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSince experimental studies such as the one here cannot be conducted with a large number of individuals, it is not possible to reach the generalizing results expected from scientific studies. For this reason, conducting a large number of studies on the subject may contribute to making the results in the field of research more remarkable.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e Research adheres to the ethical guidelines and standards established by the Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Human Research Ethics Committee in Social Sciences in Bolu, Turkey.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to participate\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eInformed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDisclosures\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eOn behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe data that has been used is confidential.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eİ. Balcıoğlu, Y. Abanoz, Madde bağımlılığı, intihar, sanık psikolojisi, Dirim Tıp Gazetesi 84 (2009) 15\u0026ndash;20.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmerican Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, DSM-5-TR, American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2022. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eM. Lindberg, C. Vergara, R. Wild-Wesley, C. Gruman, Physicians-in-training attitudes toward caring for and working with patients with alcohol and drug abuse diagnoses, Southern Medical Journal 99 (2006) 28\u0026ndash;35. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1097/01.smj.0000197514.83606.95\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1097/01.smj.0000197514.83606.95\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eL.C. Van Boekel, E.P.M. Brouwers, J. Van Weeghel, H.F.L. Garretsen, Stigma among health professionals towards patients with substance use disorders and its consequences for healthcare delivery: Systematic review, Drug and Alcohol Dependence 131 (2013) 23\u0026ndash;35. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.02.018\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.02.018\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS.E. Wakeman, G. Pham-Kanter, K. Donelan, Attitudes, practices, and preparedness to care for patients with substance use disorder: Results from a survey of general internists, Substance Abuse 37 (2016) 635\u0026ndash;641. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2016.1187240\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/08897077.2016.1187240\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP.J. Goldstein, The drugs / violence nexus: A tripartite conceptual framework, Journal of Drug Issues 15 (1985) 493\u0026ndash;506. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/002204268501500406\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/002204268501500406\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJ.R. Monforte, W.U. Spitz, Narcotic abuse among homicide victims in detroit, J. Forensic Sci. 20 (1975). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1520/JFS10257J\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1520/JFS10257J\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eN. Zhou, X. Fang, Beyond peer contagion: Unique and interactive effects of multiple peer influences on Internet addiction among Chinese adolescents, Computers in Human Behavior 50 (2015) 231\u0026ndash;238. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.03.083\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.chb.2015.03.083\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eŞ. Aslan, The role of cognitive defusion, depression, mindfulness and experientıal avoidance on internet addiction among university students, Orta Doğu Teknik \u0026Uuml;niversitesi, 2020.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. G\u0026ouml;ktaş, F. \u0026Ouml;zt\u0026uuml;rk, \u0026Uuml;niversite \u0026ouml;ğrencilerinin internet bağımlılığı ile psikolojik iyi oluş d\u0026uuml;zeyleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi, S\u0026uuml;leyman Demirel \u0026Uuml;niversitesi Vizyoner Dergisi 13 (2022) 1097\u0026ndash;1116. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.21076/vizyoner.1070004\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.21076/vizyoner.1070004\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS. Haripriya, S.E. Samuel, M. Megha, Correlation between smartphone addiction, sleep quality and physical activity among young adults, JCDR 13 (2019) 5\u0026ndash;9. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2019/42168.13212\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.7860/JCDR/2019/42168.13212\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS.-E. Kim, J.-W. Kim, Y.-S. Jee, Relationship between smartphone addiction and physical activity in Chinese international students in Korea, JBA 4 (2015) 200\u0026ndash;205. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1556/2006.4.2015.028\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1556/2006.4.2015.028\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eG. Yang, Y. Li, S. Liu, C. Liu, C. Jia, S. Wang, Physical activity influences the mobile phone addiction among Chinese undergraduates: The moderating effect of exercise type, JBA 10 (2021) 799\u0026ndash;810. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2021.00059\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1556/2006.2021.00059\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS. Niu, Mobile phone addiction, self-control, physical exercise, and depression: A moderated mediation model, Journal of Psychology in Africa 33 (2023) 235\u0026ndash;240. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2023.2195709\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/14330237.2023.2195709\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eM.S. Torlak, H. Gercek, B.S. \u0026Uuml;n\u0026uuml;var, Relationship between Physical activity and nomophobia in university students: A cross- sectional study, ADDICTA: The Turkish Journal on Addictions 9 (2022) 176\u0026ndash;181. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.5152/ADDICTA.2022.22010\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.5152/ADDICTA.2022.22010\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA. Mert, G. \u0026Ouml;zdemir, Yalnızlık duygusunun akıllı telefon bağımlılığına etkisi, OPUS Uluslararası Toplum Araştırmaları Dergisi 8 (2018) 88\u0026ndash;107. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.26466/opus.382285\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.26466/opus.382285\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eE.C. Meltzer, A. Suppes, S. Burns, A. Shuman, A. Orfanos, C.V. Sturiano, P. Charney, J.J. Fins, Stigmatization of substance use disorders among internal medicine residents, Substance Abuse 34 (2013) 356\u0026ndash;362. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2013.815143\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/08897077.2013.815143\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eB.A. Pescosolido, J. Monahan, B.G. Link, A. Stueve, S. Kikuzawa, The public\u0026rsquo;s view of the competence, dangerousness, and need for legal coercion of persons with mental health problems., Am J Public Health 89 (1999) 1339\u0026ndash;1345. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.89.9.1339\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.2105/AJPH.89.9.1339\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. Peretti-Watel, S. Legleye, R. Guignard, F. Beck, Cigarette smoking as a stigma: Evidence from France, International Journal of Drug Policy 25 (2014) 282\u0026ndash;290. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2013.08.009\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.drugpo.2013.08.009\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJ.B. Luoma, M.P. Twohig, T. Waltz, S.C. Hayes, N. Roget, M. Padilla, G. Fisher, An investigation of stigma in individuals receiving treatment for substance abuse, Addictive Behaviors 32 (2007) 1331\u0026ndash;1346. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.09.008\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.09.008\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eK. Crapanzano, R. Hammarlund, B. Ahmad, N. Hunsinger, R. Kullar, The association between perceived stigma and substance use disorder treatment outcomes: a review, SAR Volume 10 (2018) 1\u0026ndash;12. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.2147/SAR.S183252\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.2147/SAR.S183252\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eC. Probst, J. Manthey, A. Martinez, J. Rehm, Alcohol use disorder severity and reported reasons not to seek treatment: a cross-sectional study in European primary care practices, Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 10 (2015) 32. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-015-0028-z\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1186/s13011-015-0028-z\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnited Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2023, United Nations, Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar, 2023.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA. Kıyağan, BM: D\u0026uuml;nyada 2020\u0026rsquo;de 284 milyon kişi uyuşturucu madde kullandı, (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS. Avşaroğlu, E. Koyuncu, İnsanda merhamet duygusu ve değer olarak merhametli tutum, Uluslararası Medeniyet \u0026Ccedil;alışmaları Dergisi 3 (2018) 16\u0026ndash;37.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. Gilbert, K. McEwan, L. Gibbons, S. Chotai, J. Duarte, M. Matos, Fears of compassion and happiness in relation to alexithymia, mindfulness, and self-criticism, Psychol Psychother 85 (2012) 374\u0026ndash;390. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8341.2011.02046.x\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1111/j.2044-8341.2011.02046.x\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eT. G\u0026uuml;l, 4\u0026ndash;6 yaş d\u0026ouml;nemi \u0026ccedil;ocuklarda merhamet eğitimi, Necmettin Erbakan \u0026Uuml;niversitesi, 2019.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u0026Ouml;. \u0026Ccedil;evi̇k, Merhametin \u0026uuml;\u0026ccedil; y\u0026ouml;nelimi ile tanımlanması, Humanistic Perspective 4 (2022) 249\u0026ndash;264. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.47793/hp.1116461\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.47793/hp.1116461\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA. Balcı, Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma: Y\u0026ouml;ntem, teknik ve ilkeler, Pegem Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2013.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS. G\u0026uuml;rb\u0026uuml;z, F. Şahin, Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma y\u0026ouml;ntemleri, Se\u0026ccedil;kin Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2016.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eŞ. B\u0026uuml;y\u0026uuml;k\u0026ouml;zt\u0026uuml;rk, Veri analizi el kitabı, Pegem Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2007.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS. Shrestha, B. Velayudhan, S. Yn, V.L. R, J.B. Khattri, Effectiveness of School-based Substance abuse Prevention Programme (SSPP) on awareness, attitude, peer pressure, and life skills among adolescents in selected public schools of Pokhara, Nepal\u0026ndash;A cluster randomized trial protocol, Mental Health \u0026amp; Prevention 34 (2024) 1\u0026ndash;6. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2024.200342\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.mhp.2024.200342\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYeşilay, T\u0026uuml;rkiye Bağımlılıkla M\u0026uuml;cadele Eğitim Programı (TBM).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA.F. Rizzal, B.A. Keliat, I.Y. Wardani, Save the future: Enhancing substance abuse refusal skill in adolescent, Enfermer\u0026iacute;a Cl\u0026iacute;nica 31 (2021) 405\u0026ndash;407. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcli.2020.09.034\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.enfcli.2020.09.034\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eR. Rahmati, The effect of empowerment program on students\u0026rsquo; attitude towards addiction, Journal of Advanced Pharmacy Education \u0026amp; Research 8 (2018) 36\u0026ndash;39.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eG.G. Parfilova, S.V. Velieva, Preventive work with teenagers who are prone to addiction, in terms of educational space, International Journal of Environmental \u0026amp; Science Education 11 (2016) 1901\u0026ndash;1912. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003edoi:\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.12973/ijese.2016.564a\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.12973/ijese.2016.564a\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS. Coşkun, K. \u0026Ouml;ğel, U\u0026ccedil;ucu madde kullanan ergenlerde bilin\u0026ccedil;lendirme eğitiminin etkinliği, Bağımlılık Dergisi 9 (2008) 114\u0026ndash;118.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eG. Yılmış, İnternet ve t\u0026uuml;t\u0026uuml;n bağımlılığını \u0026ouml;nlemede T\u0026uuml;rkiye bağımlılıkla m\u0026uuml;cadele eğitimi\u0026rsquo;nin ilkokul 3. Ve 4. Sınıf \u0026ouml;ğrencileri \u0026uuml;zerindeki etkisi, Trakya \u0026Uuml;niversitesi, 2019. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezDetay.jsp?id=3HPjd3\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezDetay.jsp?id=3HPjd3\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003eTjmJpMOnkipwMugQ\u0026amp;no=Uo7Mf4Gu2rE_ZRwwcoZdjg (accessed September 21, 2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eC. Akdeni̇zli̇, Ortaokul d\u0026uuml;zeyinde uygulanan T\u0026uuml;rkiye bağımlılıkla m\u0026uuml;cadele eğitiminin (TBM) etkililiği ve \u0026ouml;ğrencilerin eğitim ile ilgili g\u0026ouml;r\u0026uuml;şleri, Ege \u0026Uuml;niversitesi, 2019. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eK.D. Neff, E. Pommier, The Relationship between Self-compassion and other-focused concern among college undergraduates, community adults, and practicing meditators, Self and Identity 12 (2013) 160\u0026ndash;176. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2011.649546\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/15298868.2011.649546\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eİ. Demirel, İl\u0026ccedil;elerde yaşayan halkın madde bağımlılığına y\u0026ouml;nelik tutumunun değerlendirilmesi: Bursa Osmangazi il\u0026ccedil;esi \u0026ouml;rneği, Yalova \u0026Uuml;niversitesi, 2022. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eB. Dalgalı, Merhamet odaklı terapi yaklaşımı ve uygulamaları \u0026uuml;zerine bir değerlendirme, Bursa Uludağ \u0026Uuml;niversitesi, 2019. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://acikerisim.uludag.edu.tr/items/74a20436-7947-47ae-96e8-296bd73131db\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://acikerisim.uludag.edu.tr/items/74a20436-7947-47ae-96e8-296bd73131db\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eE.A. Pommier, The compassion scale. Dissertation abstracts international section, Humanities and Social Sciences 72 (2011). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=2454831\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=2454831\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Addiction prevention, substance use disorder, Compassion, Education, Society","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6315086/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6315086/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"This study aims to investigate the impact of anti-addiction education on attitudes and compassion toward individuals with substance use disorders. The research employs a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test control groups. Participants were students aged 20–21 studying at the Faculty of Sports Sciences in a Turkish province during the 2023–2024 academic year. The experimental group comprised 28 students (7 female, 21 male), while the control group included 25 students (5 female, 20 male), totalling 53 participants. The experimental group underwent a 12-week anti-addiction training program, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Compassion and Attitude Scale Toward Individuals Who Use Addictive Substances. Anti-addiction training resulted in a statistically significant improvement in attitudes toward individuals who use substances within the experimental group compared to the control group (p \u003c 0.05). Additionally, participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher compassion scores post-training than the control group (p \u003c 0.05). These findings indicate that targeted training programs may enhance societal sensitivity and compassion, potentially facilitating the reintegration of individuals with substance use disorders.\nKeywords: Addiction prevention; substance use disorder; Compassion; Education; Society","manuscriptTitle":"The effect of anti-addiction training on attitudes toward substance users and sense of compassion","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-03-31 11:43:33","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6315086/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"55b912b3-6c8c-49eb-b354-0f809d6b5105","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 31st, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-04-22T18:53:28+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-03-31 11:43:33","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6315086","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6315086","identity":"rs-6315086","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}