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Understanding Risky Behavior Engagement Amongst Chinese Adolescents

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Abstract

The goal of the current study is to examine whether neuroticism, cognitive emotional regulation deficits, and/or their interaction predict increased engagement in risky behaviors following increases in symptoms of depression. At Time 1, 411 Chinese adolescents from Yue Yang, Hunan completed self-report measures assessing cognitive emotion regulation, depressive symptoms, and risky behavior engagement. Follow-up assessments occurred once a month for 6 months, and participants completed measures assessing depressive symptoms and risky behavior engagement. In line with our hypotheses, results of idiographic, multilevel modeling analyses indicated that individuals who exhibited high levels of neuroticism and a tendency to utilize maladaptive cognitive emotional regulation strategies were more likely than individuals possessing only one or neither of these vulnerability factors to report greater engagement in risky behaviors following increases in symptoms of depression.

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Acknowledgment

The research reported in this article was supported by a Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation (CPRF) Award, a McGill University Sabbatic Leave Research Grant awarded to John R. Z. Abela, and a McGill University Social Sciences and Humanities Student Research Grant Awarded to Randy P. Auerbach.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, McGill University, Stewart Biological Sciences Building, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada

    Randy P. Auerbach, Anthony Claro & John R. Z. Abela

  2. Medical Psychological Research Center, Central South University, 2nd Xiangya Hospital, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Xiongzhao Zhu & Shuqiao Yao

Authors
  1. Randy P. Auerbach
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  2. Anthony Claro
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  3. John R. Z. Abela
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  4. Xiongzhao Zhu
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  5. Shuqiao Yao
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Correspondence to Randy P. Auerbach.

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Auerbach, R.P., Claro, A., Abela, J.R.Z. et al. Understanding Risky Behavior Engagement Amongst Chinese Adolescents. Cogn Ther Res 34, 159–167 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-009-9238-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-009-9238-x

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