Previous research has established coping-motivated use to be the most problematic form of substance use. While dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion have been associated with lower levels of coping-motivated use in undergraduate students, possible mechanisms underlying these relationships have never been tested. The present two-part study examines whether specific emotion-regulation processes underlie the negative relationship between mindfulness and self-compassion with drinking to cope with depression and anxiety (Study One) and coping-motivated marijuana use (Study Two). The study also tests an alternative model examining whether difficulties in emotion-regulation is associated with lower levels of specific mindfulness skills, and in turn higher levels of coping-motivated use. Undergraduate students completed self-report measures assessing their levels of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, difficulties in emotion-regulation, and coping-motivated alcohol and marijuana use. In Study One (N = 187), mediation analyses revealed that mindfulness and self-compassion were associated with higher levels of access to emotion-regulation strategies, which in turn was associated with lower levels of drinking to cope with depression, but not anxiety. In Study Two (N = 170), mediation analyses revealed that mindfulness and self-compassion were associated with higher levels of acceptance of emotional responses, which in turn was associated with lower levels of coping-motivated marijuana use. In the alternative model, the mindfulness skill of acting with awareness partially explained the relationship between difficulties in emotion-regulation and drinking to cope with depression and anxiety, but not coping-motivated marijuana use. Results contribute to theoretical models and implications are discussed.

先前的研究已将应对动机的使用确定为物质使用中最成问题的形式。尽管性格正念和自我同情与本科生应对活动的使用水平较低相关，但这些关系背后的潜在机制从未得到检验。本研究分为两部分，研究了特定的情绪调节过程是否是正念与同情与饮酒以应对抑郁和焦虑（研究一）和应对大麻的使用（研究二）之间的负相关关系。该研究还测试了另一种模型，该模型检查情绪调节方面的困难是否与较低水平的特定正念技能有关，而与较高水平的应对动机使用有关。本科生完成了自我报告测评，以评估他们的性格正念，自我同情，情绪调节困难以及应对饮酒和大麻的水平。在研究一（N = 187）中，调解分析表明，正念和自我同情与更高水平的情绪调节策略相关，而反过来又与较低水平的饮酒以应对抑郁而非焦虑相关。在研究二（N = 170）中，中介分析表明，正念和自我同情与较高的情感反应接受度相关，而情绪低落则与应对大麻的使用率较低有关。在替代模型中，有意识地行动的正念技巧部分地解释了情绪调节和饮酒困难之间的关系，以应对抑郁和焦虑，但没有解释应对大麻的使用。结果有助于理论模型，并讨论了含义。