Personal Variables of Protection against Cannabis Use in Adolescence: The Roles of Emotional Intelligence, Coping Styles, and Assertiveness as Associated Factors.

(1) Background: Many public bodies have warned of the increased consumption of cannabis, particularly among adolescents. From the Positive Youth Development approach, the promotion of personal protective factors takes on special importance against some risks, such as the consumption of addictive substances. (2) Methods: This research is one of the first to study the role of trait and ability emotional intelligence in relation to cannabis use and with respect to other personal variables of protection, such as coping styles and assertiveness. For this purpose, a final sample of 799 schoolchildren was obtained. (3) Results: After controlling for age and gender, the results of the regression analyses revealed that emotional perception, emotional facilitation, emotional clarity, emotional repair, active coping style, and assertiveness were inversely and significantly associated with cannabis use behaviors. On the other hand, the emotional attention and avoidant coping style factors were positively and significantly associated with these behaviors. (4) Conclusions: These findings provide new evidence that could be useful in terms of guiding health-promoting clinical and educational interventions at an early age.

Cognitive emotion regulation strategies mediate the relationships between Dark Triad traits and negative emotional states experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has become a major source of stress as it puts individuals at risk of a range of mental health problems. Personality traits may predispose people to use adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies that lead to different health-related outcomes. The goal of the present study was to examine whether the use of distinct coping strategies during this stressful COVID-19 outbreak mediates the relationships between Dark Triad (DT) traits and stress, depression, and anxiety. The study was conducted in Poland (N = 1086) and Spain (N = 582), thus cross-culturally validated measures were used to assess depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21), cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERQ) and socially aversive traits covered by DT (Dirty Dozen scale). The study shows that maladaptive CERS mediates the relationships between narcissism/Machiavellianism and stress, anxiety and depression. Additionally, adaptive CERS mediates the relationship between psychopathy and depression. The results provide a better understanding of the mediating role of CERS on the relationships between DT traits and the stress, anxiety and depression experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trait and ability emotional intelligence as factors associated with cannabis use in adolescence. / Inteligencia emocional rasgo y habilidad como factores asociados al consumo de cannabis en la adolescencia.

Many international organisms have warned of the increased consumption of cannabis and its extensive use by adolescents. This study is one of the first with the aim of analyzing the role of ability and trait emotional intelligence, based on the model of Mayer and Salovey, with regards to the consumption of cannabis by adolescents. The study participants were 799 Spanish nationals aged 12 to 16. They were administered a self-report on trait emotional intelligence (EI), a test of maximum EI performance and were asked about their habits relating to cannabis consumption. This cross-sectional study used a quantitative, correlational methodology. The main results obtained from the regression analysis once gender, age and context of residence were controlled for, revealed negative associations between the factors of understanding and emotional repair of trait EI and the cannabis consumption variables, in contrast to emotional attention. On the other hand, with regards to ability EI, the factors of perception and facilitation were inversely associated with cannabis consumption in adolescents. The results suggest that both trait and ability EI are complementary constructs that help to explain cannabis consumption during this life stage. These findings offer empirical evidence that may help guide clinical and educational interventions focused on prevention of consumption during this period.

Diversos organismos internacionales alertan sobre el incremento de consumo de cannabis y de su uso extendido entre los adolescentes. El presente estudio ha sido uno de los primeros con el objetivo de analizar el papel de la inteligencia emocional rasgo y habilidad, basada en el modelo de Mayer y Salovey, en relación al consumo de cannabis en adolescentes. En este estudio participaron 799 jóvenes españoles con edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 16 años. Se administró un autoinforme de inteligencia emocional (IE) rasgo, un test de rendimiento máximo de IE y se preguntó sobre los hábitos relacionados con el consumo de cannabis. Este estudio de tipo transversal se llevó a cabo a través de una metodología de corte cuantitativo y de tipo correlacional. Los principales resultados obtenidos mediante los análisis de regresión una vez controlados el género, la edad y el contexto de centro, revelaron asociaciones negativas entre los factores de comprensión y reparación emocional de la IE rasgo y las variables de consumo de cannabis, al contrario que la atención emocional. Por otro lado, en relación con la IE habilidad, los factores de percepción y facilitación se asociaron de manera inversa al consumo de cannabis en los adolescentes. Los resultados de este estudio sugieren que tanto la IE rasgo como la IE habilidad son constructos complementarios que ayudan a explicar el consumo de cannabis. Estos hallazgos proporcionan evidencias empíricas que podrían orientar intervenciones clínicas y educativas enfocadas a la prevención del consumo en esta etapa.

The Protective Association of Trait and Ability Emotional Intelligence with Adolescent Tobacco Use.

The present study is one of the first to analyze the predictive capacity of both trait and ability Emotional Intelligence (EI) based on the Mayer and Salovey model, in relation to tobacco use in a sample of Spanish adolescents. In this study, 799 students between the ages of 12 and 16 participated. A self-report on trait EI, an EI peak performance test, and questions about habits relating to tobacco use were administered. This cross-sectional study developed a quantitative and correlation-type methodology. The main results of the regression analyses, once the sex and age of the participants were controlled, revealed negative associations between the factors of clarity and emotional repair of the trait EI with respect to the variables of tobacco use, and a positive association was found for them and emotional attention. By comparison, with respect to ability EI, emotional perception and understanding were inversely related to adolescent tobacco use. These results underscore the importance of EI skills as protective factors against early initiation and subsequent tobacco abuse.

Trait and ability emotional intelligence as predictors of alcohol consumption in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Past studies have suggested that emotional intelligence (EI) is a new construct that may help to explain alcohol abuse. This study is one of the first to examine the predictive capacity of both trait and ability EI, based on the Mayer and Salovey model, with regards to distinct variables of alcohol consumption in an adolescent population. METHOD: A survey was conducted on 844 school children who completed a self-report and performance-based EI test, as well as a selection of items on alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed that trait EI was the most predictive. Clarity and emotional Repair showed significant negative correlations with alcohol consumption, as opposed to emotional Attention. Likewise, the abilities of Perceiving and Using emotions were found to be protective factors for consumption in schoolchildren. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that trait and ability EI are complementary dimensions that may help in the understanding and intervention of alcohol abuse in adolescents. The results are discussed in the EI research context, as well as their educational implications and future research lines.