Role of Trauma Exposure, Psychological Inflexibility and Self Compassion in Substance Use Among Adolescent Students

No research in Nigeria has empirically explored the correlation between self-compassion and well-being in adolescents. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether self-compassion yields similar mental health advantages in adolescents as observed in older populations. The hypothesis posited that self-compassionate adolescents would exhibit enhanced social connectedness and reduced levels of anxiety and depression, aligning with previous findings in adults. The study's objectives were to assess whether: (1) Trauma exposure significantly contributes to substance use among adolescents; (2) Psychological inflexibility plays a significant role in adolescent substance use; (3) Self-compassion significantly influences substance use among adolescents. The study included 370 senior and junior secondary school students, comprising 155 (41.9%) males and 215 (58.1%) females. Four instruments were utilized: the Harvard Trauma questionnaire, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Psychoactive Substance Use Questionnaire. Employing a cross-sectional design, the findings indicated that trauma exposure positively predicted substance use, suggesting a correlation between increased trauma exposure and heightened substance use. Additionally, psychological inflexibility positively predicted substance use, indicating that elevated psychological inflexibility corresponded to increased substance use. However, self-compassion did not emerge as a significant predictor of substance use.