An Evaluation of Personality Traits and Negative Life Events in Explaining Negative Coping Strategies among Drug Dependent People: The Mediating Role of Negative Affects

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship of personality traits and negative life events with coping styles with the mediating role of negative affects in drug dependent people. Method: This was a correlational study wherein the number of 152 participants (drug users) completed Cloninger temperament and character inventory, Paykel life events inventory, positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS), and Endler & Parker’s coping inventory for stressful situations. Results: Novelty seeking had an indirect effect on emotional coping styles. Although anger had a mediating role in this relationship, it did not play such a role in the relationship of low self-directedness and negative life events with emotional coping styles. Harm avoidance had a direct effect on avoidant coping styles. Fear and sadness played a mediating role in the structural relationship of harm avoidance and negative events with avoidant coping styles. Reward dependence had an indirect effect on avoidant coping styles. Sadness had a mediating role in the structural relationship between reward dependence and avoidant coping styles. Conclusion: People with traumatic personality traits show negative affects by experiencing stressful negative events which leads to traumatic coping style, including addiction