Predicting high-risk behaviors based on satisfying basic psychological needs, cognitive emotion regulation and attachment styles mediated by mental vitality in female adolescents

Given that basic psychological needs, cognitive emotion regulation, attachment styles and mental vitality are among the factors that play a protective role in the occurrence of high-risk behaviors; therefore, predicting the underlying or eliminating factors of high-risk behaviors seems necessary.

This study was conducted to predicting high-risk behaviors based on satisfying basic psychological needs, cognitive regulation of emotion and attachment styles mediated by mental vitality in female adolescents.

The statistical population of this descriptive-correlational study included all female students of the second year of high school in Tabriz in the academic year 2018-2019, from which 282 people were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were collected through Iranian Adolescents Risk-Taking Scale (IARTS), Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS), Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and Mental Vitality Questionnaire (MVQ). Data were analyzed using path analysis method in SPSS-23 and Lisrel-8 software.

There is a negative and significant relationship between high-risk behaviors with the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (P=0.001, r=-0.230), and mental vitality (P=0.001, r=-0.313) and attachment styles (P=0.001, r=0.247) there is a positive and significant relationship; while only the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (P=0.004) can predict high-risk behaviors due to the mediating role of mental vitality.

Satisfaction of basic psychological needs due to the mediating role of mental vitality has the ability to predict high-risk behaviors; these findings can be helpful in effectively preventing high-risk behaviors among female adolescents.