Why Players Engage in Drug Abuse Substances? A Survey Study

Purpose of this study was to find out the psychological and social support factor which may possibly lead the players towards using drug abuse substances. 303 players were surveyed with a battery of questionnaires consisting questions about performance enhancement attitude, motivation, perfectionism, self confidence, task, ego and social support. 83 players accepted that they have taken banned substances, significant differences were found in their performance enhancement attitude (p<0.001), self confidence (p<0.05) and social support (p<0.001). Result of this study suggested that psychological and social support factors play an important role in players’ propensity to engage in drug abuse substances. This will be the duty of coaches, sports physiotherapist, sports psychologists and sports officials to guide athletes towards a positive approach to encounter the pressure of any competition.