Coping Skills: Protective Factors In The Use Of Alcohol, Tobacco And Cannabis

• Published in: Adicciones (Palma de Mallorca) 2004-10, Vol.16 (4)
• Main Authors: Noelia Llorens Aleixandre, Miguel Perelló del Río, Alfonso Palmer Pol
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; spa
• Subjects: Alcohol; Liquor; Marijuana; Social skills; Tobacco
• ISSN: 0214-4840

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyse the explanatory value of coping skills, own skills and social skills, over use of different legal and illegal addictive substances in youth adults' population. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was administered to a sample 314 youths adults, between 18 and 30 years. The instrument measures the quantity of substance consumed in one week, coping skills, social skills and own skills. The analysed answer variables were the number of consumed distilled drinks (whisky, vodka, etc.), fermented drinks (beer, wine, etc.) and cannabis cigarettes and tobacco. Results: Lacks in coping skills like to "Think of the negative consequences" diminishes the use of fermented drinks and cannabis a 24% and 40% respectively. The own skill "To be disciplined" diminishes the use of distilled drinks, fermented drinks and cannabis a 38%, 31% and 33% respectively. Lacks in social skills, as the difficulty to be related with people of the opposite sex, influences diminishing the use of distilled drinks (45%) and cannabis (70%), and increasing the use of tobacco fourth time. Conclusions: Lacks in social skills are the only significant influence in the use of tobacco. Lacks in social and own abilities have an effect to the use of distilled drinks and cannabis, and lacks in coping skills facilitate a subject to use fermented drinks. The modification of all these lacks could guide to develop effective prevention programs.