University of Mohaghegh Ardabili Journal of Research in Psychopathology 2783-3208 6 2 2025 05 01 A Structural Model of the Tendency toward Substance Abuse Based on Childhood Trauma in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Self-Compassion and Mentalization 23 30 3600 10.22098/jrp.2024.15836.1252 EN Leila Hefazi Torghabeh Ph.D. Student in Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran Mahmoud Najafi Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran Journal Article 2024 09 14 The aim of the present study was to explain a structural model of the tendency toward substance abuse based on childhood trauma in adolescents, mediated by roles of self-compassion and mentalization. The population included all high school students )male and female) in the second stage of secondary education in Mashhad city during 2023-2024 academic year, with 360 students selected as the sample through multi-stage cluster random sampling. To measure the research variables, the Tendency toward Substance Abuse Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, and the Self-Compassion Scale for Adolescents were used. The research method was descriptive-correlational using structural equation modeling (SEM). The data was analyzed using SPSS25 and AMOS24 software. The findings indicated a significant relationship between childhood trauma and the tendency toward substance abuse, which is mediated by self-compassion, certainty mentalization, and uncertainty mentalization. Based on these results, it is recommended that focusing on improving certainty mentalization capacity and self-compassion in adolescents who have experienced childhood trauma can be an effective approach to prevent substance abuse and promote their mental health. https://jrp.uma.ac.ir/article_3600_6e5242c579347d060d8af97cfbac4f93.pdf