The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Distress Tolerance in High-Risk Behaviors among Students

Aim and The aim of the present study was to examine the role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies and distress tolerance in high-risk behaviors among students.
Methods and Materials: In a correlational study, from among all students of various schools of Kharazmi University in 2014-2015, 240 students (146 women and 94 men) were selected using multistage cluster sampling. The participants completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Distress Tolerance Questionnaire, and Iranian Adolescents Risk-Taking Scale. Data analysis was performed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis (stepwise).
Findings: The correlation coefficients showed that adaptive strategies (acceptance, positive refocusing, refocusing on planning, positive reappraisal, and putting into perspective) had a significant negative relationship with some risky behaviors (dangerous driving, violence, cigarette smoking, substance abuse, alcohol consumption, and relationship with the opposite sex). The non-adaptive strategies of blaming others and catastrophizing had a significant positive relationship with the risky behaviors of dangerous driving, violence, cigarette smoking, substance abuse, and sexual relationship and behavior. These results also indicated that components of distress tolerance (tolerance, absorption, and appraisal) had a significant negative relationship with some risky behaviors (dangerous driving, violence, cigarette smoking, substance abuse, and sexual relationship and behavior). The results of multiple regression analysis showed that among the five adaptive strategies, strategies of acceptance, positive refocusing, refocusing on planning, and positive reappraisal had predictive power for some risky behaviors. In addition, among the four non-adaptive strategies, strategies of catastrophizing, and blaming others had predictive power for some risky behaviors. Moreover, among the components of distress tolerance, appraisal and absorption components had predictive power for some risky behaviors. Overall, among other predictors, the two strategies of refocusing on planning and positive reappraisal, with explanation of 11% of variance in violence scores, had the highest coefficient for high-risk behaviors.
From the findings of this study, it can be inferred that cognitive emotion regulation strategies and distress tolerance were important predictors of risky behaviors in students. Therefore, in educational programs for the prevention and reduction of risky behaviors among students, cognitive emotion regulation strategies and distress tolerance require more attention.