Psychological Science ›› 2014, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (6): 1386-1391.

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The Effect of Stressful Life Events on Adolescents’Tobacco and Alcohol Use:The Chain Mediating Effect of Basic Psychological Needs and Coping Style

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  • Received:2013-09-16 Revised:2014-01-08 Online:2014-11-20 Published:2014-11-20

压力性生活事件对青少年烟酒使用的影响:基本心理需要和应对方式的链式中介作用

夏扉,叶宝娟   

  1. 江西师范大学
  • 通讯作者: 叶宝娟

Abstract: Many studies indicate that the ratios of adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use are rising year by year and adolescents that use tobacco and alcohol use become younger(Chen, Su, Lin, 2012;Ji, 2010;Lin, Fan, Li, Pan, 2010;Ye, Li, Chen, Wang, 2011). Tobacco and alcohol use greatly endangers adolescents’ health. They not only can influence adolescents’ cognitive function and physical function, but also can lead to serious adolescents’ psychological and behavioral problems, such as adolescents crime and suicide(Chen et al., 2012; Kim, Kwak, & Yun, 2010; Ye et al., 2011). Therefore, more attention should be paid to adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use. It is very necessary to study the potential mechanisms of adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use so as to design prevention and intervention programs.   Adolescents have to simultaneously face stress from family, school and companion (Niwa et al., 2013; Priess-Groben & Hyde, 2012; Ye, Yang, & Hu, 2012). Stressful life events increase adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use (Blomeyer et al., 2008; O’Loufhlin, Karp, Koulis, Paradis, DiFranza, 2009; Ye et al., 2011). But a few studies had explored how stressful life events influence adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use. Mediation addresses how effect is produced. Mediational analysis attempt to identify the intermediary process that leads from the independent variable (e.g. stressful life events) on a dependent variable (e.g. adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use). We should examine the mediation mechanism of the effect of stressful life events on adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use so as to prevent and control adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use.   To examine how stressful life events influence adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use, 867 adolescents of six schools (430 boys and 437 girls, Mage=14.43±1.05) was recruited in the study to complete self-report questionnaires. The self-report questionnaires used in this study included stressful life events scale, basic psychological needs scale, coping style questionnaire and tobacco and alcohol use questionnaire. The results indicated that: (1) basic psychological needs mediated the effect of stressful life events on adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use; (2) coping style mediated the effect of basic psychological needs on tobacco and alcohol use. Positive coping style and negative coping style all served to partially mediate the association between basic psychological needs on tobacco and alcohol use. Stressful life events could directly influence adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use, as well as through influence basic psychological needs and coping style, ultimately influence adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use. Basic psychological needs and coping style played a chain mediating effect between stressful life events and adolescents’ tobacco and alcohol use. The conclusion of the study had important reference value for prevention and intervention of adolescents’tobacco and alcohol use. Firstly, we should reduce adolescents’stress and train adolescents to better cope with stress. Secondly, we should pay close attention to adolescents’satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Thirdly, adolescents should increase positive coping style and reduce negative coping style.

Key words: stressful life events, basic psychological needs, coping style, tobacco and alcohol use

摘要: 采用压力性生活事件量表、基本心理需要量表、特质应对方式问卷和烟酒使用问卷对867名青少年进行调查,考察了基本心理需要和积极应对方式、消极应对方式在压力性生活事件与烟酒使用关系中的链式中介效应。结果表明:(1)基本心理需要是压力性生活事件与青少年烟酒使用之间的中介变量;(2)积极应对方式、消极应对方式是基本心理需要与青少年烟酒使用之间的中介变量。因此,基本心理需要和积极应对方式、消极应对方式在压力性生活事件与青少年烟酒使用之间起链式中介作用。研究结论对青少年烟酒使用的预防和干预具有重要价值。

关键词: 压力性生活事件, 基本心理需要, 应对方式, 烟酒使用