The Associations of Emotional Intelligence and Parenting Styles with the Tendency to Substance Abuse in Students

This study aimed to investigate the correlations of the components of emotional intelligence and parenting styles with the tendency to substance abuse in students. The present study was a descriptive-correlational research. The research sample consisted of 312 secondary school students of district 1 of the city of Zanjan who were selected by a convenient sampling method. To collect data, the Parenting style Inventory, the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, and the Addiction Tendency Questionnaire were used. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient. The results showed that there was a significant negative relationship between some components of emotional intelligence and the tendency to substance abuse. Authoritarian parenting style had a significant positive correlation with the tendency to substance abuse, and the authoritative parenting style had a significant negative association with the tendency to substance abuse. The results indicated the importance and the roles of parenting styles and emotional intelligence components in the tendency to substance abuse. Therefore, educational programs based on the components of emotional intelligence and parenting skills can be an appropriate approach in preventing high-risk behaviors among students, especially in the tendency to substance abuse.