The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress in the Relations of Early Maladaptive Schemas and Negative Emotion Regulation to the Tendency to High-Risk Behaviors in Students

The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of psychological distress in relations of early maladaptive schemas and negative emotion regulation to the tendency to high-risk behaviors (including substance and alcohol use) in students.

The present study was descriptive-correlational of structural equation modeling type. The statistical population included all secondary high school students in Miandoab in 2019-2020 (n=4779). A sample of 399 students was selected using Slovenchr('39')s formula by multi-stage cluster random sampling. Participants completed the early maladaptive schema questionnaire, the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire, the Iranian adolescentschr('39') risk-taking scale, and the psychological distress scale. Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling.

The results showed that early maladaptive schemas and negative emotion regulation had significant direct effects on high-risk behaviors (including substance and alcohol use). Also, early maladaptive schemas and negative emotion regulation had significant indirect effects on high-risk behaviors through psychological distress.

In general, the research findings showed that by increasing psychological distress, early maladaptive schemas and negative emotion regulation can cause the emergence and maintenance of the tendency to high-risk behaviors in adolescents, especially substance and alcohol use which are more common in this group.