THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF PEER INFLUENCE, FAMILY DYNAMICS AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION IN PREDICTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND SELF-HARM AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

Abstract

Many young adults engage in unhealthy coping behaviors such as substance abuse and self-harming. The current study investigates the relationship between childhood trauma, peer influence and the likelihood of young adults engaging in substance abuse and self-harming. Emerging adulthood is a unique stage of the lifespan during which young people are in the process of figuring out who they are and where they are going in life. This stage is also characterized by a heightened vulnerability to psychological disturbances and a greater likelihood of involvement in unhealthy peer environment that may influence young people to engage in risk-taking behaviors. A quantitative cross-sectional study design was used in which 122 participants completed a survey consisting of measures of childhood trauma including domains of neglectful parenting, peer influence, substance abuse and self-harming behaviors. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted in addition to multiple linear regression analyses to explore the predictive effects of childhood trauma, peer influence and the interaction between childhood trauma and peer influence predicting substance abuse and self-harming. Results indicated that childhood trauma was positively correlated with both substance abuse and self-harm behaviors. The findings also indicated that peer influence had mixed predictive effects for substance abuse and self-harming.