A Structural Model of the Tendency toward Substance Abuse Based on Childhood Trauma in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Self-Compassion and Mentalization

The aim of the present study was to explain a structural model of the tendency toward substance abuse based on childhood trauma in adolescents, mediated by roles of self-compassion and mentalization. The population included all high school students )male and female) in the second stage of secondary education in Mashhad city during 2023-2024 academic year, with 360 students selected as the sample through multi-stage cluster random sampling. To measure the research variables, the Tendency toward Substance Abuse Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, and the Self-Compassion Scale for Adolescents were used. The research method was descriptive-correlational using structural equation modeling (SEM). The data was analyzed using SPSS25 and AMOS24 software. The findings indicated a significant relationship between childhood trauma and the tendency toward substance abuse, which is mediated by self-compassion, certainty mentalization, and uncertainty mentalization. Based on these results, it is recommended that focusing on improving certainty mentalization capacity and self-compassion in adolescents who have experienced childhood trauma can be an effective approach to prevent substance abuse and promote their mental health.