A Structural Model of the Tendency toward Substance Abuse Based on Childhood Trauma in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Self-Compassion and Mentalization

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

Abstract

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.

Keywords

References

Allen, J. G., Fonagy, P., & Bateman, A. W. (2008). Mentalizing in clinical practice. American Psychiatric Pub.
Álvarez-García, D., Núñez, J. C., González-Castro, P., Rodríguez, C., & Cerezo, R. (2019). The effect of parental controlon cyber-victimization in adolescence: the mediating role of impulsivity and high-risk behaviors. Frontiers inpsychology, 10, 1159. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01159
Arslan, G., Uzun, K., Güven, A. Z., & Gürsu, O. (2024). Psychological flexibility, self-compassion, subjective well-being, and substance misuse in college students: a serial mediation model. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 1-22. doi: 10.1080/15332640.2024.2366981
Azad, M., Taremian, F., & Shakiba, S. (2024). Uncertainty Mentalizing and Emotion Dysregulation with Substance Use Severity in Iranian Young Adults; Mediating Role of Borderline Personality Traits. Authorea Preprints. doi: 10.22541/au.171930967.73400981/v1
Baker, L. R., & McNulty, J. K. (2011). Self-compassion and relationship maintenance: the moderating roles of conscientiousness and gender. Journal of personality and social psychology, 100(5), 853.
Barahoyi, S., Najafi, M., & Talepasand, S. (2023). Predicting high-risk behaviors based on Positive Youth Development and positive psychological capital in adolescent. Scientific Quarterly Research on Addiction, 17(69) ,270-245. doi: 10.61186/etiadpajohi.17.69.245
Bateman, A., & Fonagy, P. (2016). Mentalization-based treatment for personality disorders: A practical guide. OUP Oxford.
Bernstein, D. P., Stein, J. A., Newcomb, M. D., Walker, E., Pogge, D., Ahluvalia, T., ... & Zule, W. (2003). Development and validation of a brief screening version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Child abuse & neglect, 27(2), 169-190. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.08.003
Breines, J. G., & Chen, S. (2012). Self-compassion increases selfimprovement motivation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38(9), 1133-1143. doi: 10.1177/0146167212445599
Dawson‐Rose, C., Shehadeh, D., Hao, J., Barnard, J., Khoddam‐Khorasani, L., Leonard, A., ... & Cuca, Y. P. (2020). Trauma, substance use, and mental health symptoms in transitional age youth experiencing homelessness. Public health nursing, 37(3), 363-370. doi: 10.1111/phn.12727
Darroudi, H., Najafi, M., & Khosravani, V. (2024). Pathways to suicidal risk in patients with OCD: The role of childhood abuse, cognitive vulnerabilities, OCD symptomology, and depression. Journal of Family Trauma, Child Custody & Child Development, 21(3), 341-364. doi:10.1080/26904586.2023.2289413
Drogar, E., Fathi-Ashtiani, A., & Ashrafi, E. (2020). Validation and Reliability of the Persian Version of the MentalizationQuestionnaire. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 12(1), 1-12. doi: 10.22075/jcp.2020.18897.1745
Farjad, M. (2006). Social pathology and sociology of deviations. Tehran: Moalem Publishing.
Fonagy, P., Luyten, P., Moulton-Perkins, A., Lee, Y. W., Warren, F., Howard, S., ... & Lowyck, B. (2016). Development and validation of a self-report measure of mentalizing: The reflective functioning questionnaire. PloS one, 11(7), e0158678. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158678
Hosseini, K., & Soleimani, E. (2021). The Relationship between Child Abuse and Cognitive Distortions with Clinical Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Mediating Role of Emotion Dysregulation. International Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 15(2), 88-95.  doi:10.30491/ijbs.2021.253385.1408
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural equation modeling: a multidisciplinary journal, 6(1), 1-55. doi: 10.1080/10705519909540118
Hupfeld, J., & Ruffieux, N. (2011). Validierung einer deutschen version der Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-D). Zeitschrift für klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, 40 (2), 115–123. doi: 10.1026/1616-3443/a00008
Kiefer, R., Goncharenko, S., Forkus, S. R., Contractor, A. A., LeBlanc, N., & Weiss, N. H. (2023). Role of positive emotion regulation strategies in the association between childhood trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder among trauma-exposed individuals who use substances. Anxiety, stress, & coping, 36(3), 366-381. doi: 10.1080/10615806.2022.2079636    
Kline, R. (2016). Data preparation and psychometrics review. Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. 4th ed. New York, NY: Guilford, 64-96.
Lorzangeneh, S., & Esazadegan, A. (2022). The role of early maladaptive schema domains and childhood trauma in predicting cognitive distortions. Journal of Research in Psychopathology, 3(8), 1-8. doi: 10.22098/jrp.2022.10098.1049
Lotzin, A., Grundmann, J., Hiller, P., Pawils, S., & Schäfer, I. (2019). Profiles of childhood trauma in women with substance use disorders and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorders. Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 674. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00674
Mir Hosami,  Sh. (2008) Examining the role of the family in the tendency of youth and adolescents to addiction. Payam Noor University psychology bachelor's thesis.
Moradzadeh, Sh, & Najafi, M. (2022). Predicting Depression Based on Childhood Trauma, Impulsivity, and Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Substance Abusers. Scientific Quarterly Research on Addiction, 16(64 ), 219-240.  doi:10.52547/etiadpajohi.16.64.219
Nazari, N., Hernández, R. M., Ocana-Fernandez, Y., & Griffiths, M. D. (2022). Psychometric validation of the Persian self-compassion scale youth version. Mindfulness, 13(1),385-397. doi: 10.1007/s12671-021-01801-7
Neff, K. D. (2016). The self-compassion scale is a valid and theoretically coherent measure of self-compassion. Mindfulness, 7, 264-274. doi: 10.1007/s12671-015-0479-3
Neff K. D, Bluth K, Tóth-Király I, Davidson O, Knox MC, Williamson Z,  Costigan A. (2021). Development and validation of the self-compassion scale for youth. Journal of personality assessment, 2021; 103(1): 92-105. doi:10.1080/00223891.2020.1729774
Nia, A. B., Weleff, J., Fogelman, N., Nourbakhsh, S., & Sinha, R. (2023). Regular cannabis use is associated with history of childhood and lifetime trauma in a non-clinical community sample. Journal of psychiatric research, 159, 159-164. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.01.036
Nikmanesh, Z., Kazemi, Y., & Khosravi, M. (2015). Feeling lonely and having difficulty regulating emotions in substance abuse. Journal of Health Research, 4(1), 55-64. doi: 10.22037/ijmtfm.v5i4(Autumn).8744
Omidpour, A., Kabini Moghadam, S., & Miyandehi, H. (2021). Prevalence of smoking, alcohol and drug use among adolescent students in Guilan Province. Scientific Journal of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedical Faculty, 7(1), 46-59. http://sjnmp.muk.ac.ir/article-1-405-en.html
Shafiei, M., Rezaei, F., & Sadeghi, M. (2021). Model of contrast avoidance of generalized anxiety disorder in people with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Psychology, 25)1(, 98-117.
Shamsnajafi, Z. A., Hasanzadeh, R., & Emadian, S. O. (2023). The effectiveness of compassionate mind-based therapy on cognitive and emotional processing deficits of adolescent soldiers aged 18 to 20 years with high-risk behaviors. Journal of Research in Psychopathology, 4(12), 1-8. doi: 10.10.22098/jrp.2022.10484.1078
Southgate, K. (2016). A Potential Space: Discovering a Place for DW Winnicott in the Psychoanalytic Literature on Drug Addiction. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Springer, N., & Lueger-Schuster, B. (2024). Navigating foster care: how parental drug use and caregiver attitudes shape children’s mentalization processes—an exploratory longitudinal follow-up study: study protocol. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1295809. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1295809
Torkaman, M., Davoodi, A., Naziri, G., & Fath, N. (2023). The relationship between childhood trauma and the tendency to abuse drugs according to the mediating role of cognitive flexibility and rumination in people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Modern Psychological Researches, 17(68), 81-90. doi: 10.22034/jmpr.2023.15344
Tosifian, N, Ghaderi Begeh-Jan, K., Khaledian, M., & Farrokhi, N. (2018). Structural Modeling of Family Function and Drug Craving in Addicted People under Methadone Maintenance Treatment with an Emphasis on the Mediating Role of Self-Compassion. Scientific Quarterly Research on Addiction, 11(44), 209-226. http://etiadpajohi.ir/article-1-1583-en.html
Wingenfeld, K., Schaffrath, C., Rullkoetter, N., Mensebach, C., Schlosser, N., Beblo, T., ... & Meyer, B. (2011). Associations of childhood trauma, trauma in adulthood and previous-year stress with psychopathology in patients with major depression and borderline personality disorder. Child abuse & neglect, 35(8), 647-654. doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.04.003
Zorani, S., & Peles, E. (2024). Intact and impaired mentalization and its relation to empathy and pain—a cross-sectional study of patients with opioid use disorder receiving methadone maintenance treatment. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 22(3), 1299-1314. doi: 10.1007/s11469-022-00927-

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics