Relationship between Depression and Cognitive Flexibility with Addictive Behaviors with the Mediating Role of Shame and Guilt

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of shame and guilt in the relationship with depression and cognitive flexibility with addictive behaviors.

The present study was correlation and structural equation modeling. The study population consisted of all students in Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University who were selected as 211 using systematic random sampling. In the present study, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale of Lovibond, S.H. & Lovibond (1995), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory of Dennis and Vander Wal (2010), Addiction Potential Scale of Weed & Butcher (1992), the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale of Cohen et al (2011) and the Problem Gambling Severity Index of Holtgraves (2009) were used.

The results showed that shame and guilt in relation with depression and cognitive flexibility had negative and significant relationship with addictive behaviors(p<0/001).Direct path coefficients between depression and shame (p <0.001), cognitive flexibility and shame (P <0.001) and shame and addiction behavior (P <0.001) were significant .Also, indirect path coefficients between depression and shame (p <0.001), cognitive flexibility and shame (P <0.001) and shame and addiction behavior (P <0.001) were significant.

The present study showed that shame and guilt had negative impact on addictive behaviors and people with these emotions are less likely to have addictive behaviors.