Qom University of Medical Sciences Journal

Background and Objectives: Addiction is a destructive scourge that severely threatens human society, especially the adolescents and young adults. Individuals' perception and reaction to environmental stimuli and their disability in cognitive processing of emotional information and emotional regulation can propel individuals toward addiction. Hence, this study was performed with the purpose of investigating the correlation between sensory processing sensitivity and alexithymia with tendency to addiction.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 166 Golestan dormitory resident female students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in 2015. The samples were selected randomly. Data were collected by Tendency to Addiction, Sensory Processing Sensitivity, and Alexithymia Scale (FTAS-20) questionnaires. Data were analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis.

Results: The results of Pearson’s correlation showed that there was a significant correlation between components of ease of excitation, aesthetic sensitivity, and alexithymia with tendency to addiction (p<0.05, p<0.01), and the results of stepwise regression analysis showed that components of ease of excitation, aesthetic sensitivity, and alexithymia together explain 20.4% of the variance of tendency to addiction. Also, there was not a significant relationship between low sensory threshold and tendency to addiction.

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the improvement of individuals' perception and reaction to environmental stimuli, cognitive processing of emotional information, and emotional regulation, can facilitate prevention of addiction.