Expression of Emotions by College Students According to Levels of the Tendency to Use Substances

Abstract

In this study, which aims to examine the ways in which university students with different substance use tendencies express their feelings in terms of various variables, the negative affect score average of the participants with high substance use tendency is significantly higher than the negative affect point average of the participants with low substance use tendency. While the positive emotion scores of university students did not differ based on their possible previous psychiatric illness, a significant difference was found between negative emotion scores. According to the perceived parental attitudes, there was no significant difference between the positive emotion score averages of the university students; however, a significant difference was found between the mean scores of negative emotions. A significant difference was found between positive and negative emotion scores about the students' self-identification. While there was a significant difference between the positive emotion scores according to the perceived academic achievement level of the students, there was no significant difference between negative emotion scores. As to their smoking habits, there was no difference between the positive emotions of the participants; however, the joint effect of the level of substance use tendency and smoking on negative emotion scores is significant.