Difficulties in Emotion Regulation in Smoker Students with and without Social Anxiety

There is a high prevalence of smoking in individuals with psychiatric disorders. This research was conducted to compare difficulties in emotion regulation in smoker students with and without social anxiety.

This descriptive study included all undergraduate students who smoked at Arak University from 2018 to 2019. The statistical population was all smokers, undergraduate students, at Arak University (Arak, Iran). The purposive sampling method was used to select the research sample. At first, 120 people completed the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Then, based on the cutoff point scores of SPIN (19 to above), two divided groups, including two smoker groups with and without social anxiety (n=30 in each group), were selected and compared in terms of difficulties in emotion regulation.

The results of Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) indicated not a significant difference in the linear composition of dependent variables in two groups (Wilks, lambda= 0.722, F46,6= 2.269, p= 0.053). Univariate analysis of variance indicated a significant difference in the two groups only in the Difficulties Engaging in Goal-Directed Behavior (GOALS) component.

The smoker students with social anxiety have more difficulties in GOALS. Therefore, it is proposed, this difficulty can be reduced using the education of emotion regulation skills.