The Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Adolescent Substance Use: Findings From a Hungarian Representative Survey
Previous research has emphasized the importance of emotions in the development of adult and adolescent substance use. There is substantial evidence for deficits in emotional processing among teenagers with substance use, but few studies have investigated the association between emotional intelligenc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00367/full |
| _version_ | 1819161255669137408 |
|---|---|
| author | Bernadette Kun Róbert Urbán Borbála Paksi Mark D. Griffiths Mara J. Richman Zsolt Demetrovics |
| author_facet | Bernadette Kun Róbert Urbán Borbála Paksi Mark D. Griffiths Mara J. Richman Zsolt Demetrovics |
| author_sort | Bernadette Kun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous research has emphasized the importance of emotions in the development of adult and adolescent substance use. There is substantial evidence for deficits in emotional processing among teenagers with substance use, but few studies have investigated the association between emotional intelligence and adolescent substance use. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs and level of emotional intelligence among adolescents. A representative sample of high school students participated in the study (N = 2,380). Substance use patterns were assessed using data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) Survey, and emotional intelligence was assessed with the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version. Self-esteem and depressive symptomatology were also assessed to compare their effects on the frequency of substance use with the effect of emotional intelligence. Results demonstrated that greater difficulty in stress management and empathy predicted a higher frequency of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use. However, the level of emotional intelligence showed only a weak relationship to substance use habits. Latent profile analyses supported the hypothesis that different emotional patterns and problems underlie different types of psychoactive substances. Using a multiple linear regression model, the present study found that although emotional intelligence is not a key factor underlying substance use habits, it has an individual effect on substance use beyond depressive tendencies and self-esteem. These results can be applied to both drug prevention programs and interventions in substance abuse treatment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T17:09:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e25ed252d2fb4e3eb03a342c22112039 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T17:09:26Z |
| publishDate | 2019-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-e25ed252d2fb4e3eb03a342c221120392022-12-21T18:19:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402019-06-011010.3389/fpsyt.2019.00367453558The Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Adolescent Substance Use: Findings From a Hungarian Representative SurveyBernadette Kun0Róbert Urbán1Borbála Paksi2Mark D. Griffiths3Mara J. Richman4Zsolt Demetrovics5Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryInstitute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryInstitute of Education, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryPsychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United KingdomDoctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryInstitute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryPrevious research has emphasized the importance of emotions in the development of adult and adolescent substance use. There is substantial evidence for deficits in emotional processing among teenagers with substance use, but few studies have investigated the association between emotional intelligence and adolescent substance use. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs and level of emotional intelligence among adolescents. A representative sample of high school students participated in the study (N = 2,380). Substance use patterns were assessed using data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) Survey, and emotional intelligence was assessed with the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version. Self-esteem and depressive symptomatology were also assessed to compare their effects on the frequency of substance use with the effect of emotional intelligence. Results demonstrated that greater difficulty in stress management and empathy predicted a higher frequency of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use. However, the level of emotional intelligence showed only a weak relationship to substance use habits. Latent profile analyses supported the hypothesis that different emotional patterns and problems underlie different types of psychoactive substances. Using a multiple linear regression model, the present study found that although emotional intelligence is not a key factor underlying substance use habits, it has an individual effect on substance use beyond depressive tendencies and self-esteem. These results can be applied to both drug prevention programs and interventions in substance abuse treatment.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00367/fullemotional intelligenceadolescent substance useadolescent drug useadolescent alcohol useadolescent tobacco use |
| spellingShingle | Bernadette Kun Róbert Urbán Borbála Paksi Mark D. Griffiths Mara J. Richman Zsolt Demetrovics The Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Adolescent Substance Use: Findings From a Hungarian Representative Survey Frontiers in Psychiatry emotional intelligence adolescent substance use adolescent drug use adolescent alcohol use adolescent tobacco use |
| title | The Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Adolescent Substance Use: Findings From a Hungarian Representative Survey |
| title_full | The Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Adolescent Substance Use: Findings From a Hungarian Representative Survey |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Adolescent Substance Use: Findings From a Hungarian Representative Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Adolescent Substance Use: Findings From a Hungarian Representative Survey |
| title_short | The Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Adolescent Substance Use: Findings From a Hungarian Representative Survey |
| title_sort | effects of trait emotional intelligence on adolescent substance use findings from a hungarian representative survey |
| topic | emotional intelligence adolescent substance use adolescent drug use adolescent alcohol use adolescent tobacco use |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00367/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bernadettekun theeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT roberturban theeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT borbalapaksi theeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT markdgriffiths theeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT marajrichman theeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT zsoltdemetrovics theeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT bernadettekun effectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT roberturban effectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT borbalapaksi effectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT markdgriffiths effectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT marajrichman effectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey AT zsoltdemetrovics effectsoftraitemotionalintelligenceonadolescentsubstanceusefindingsfromahungarianrepresentativesurvey |