ABSTRACT

Transitional aged youth (18–24) report increasing and peaking risk-taking (sexual, substance, and delinquent behavior). Stressful life events (SLE) are associated with these risk-taking behaviors. Little is known regarding what mediates these relationships. This study tests whether various coping strategies mediate the relationship between SLE and risky behavior in three domains among 18–24 year olds (N = 126; M age = 21.3, SD = 1.9; 52% Black; 56% female). After adjusting for covariates and simultaneously modeling two stress variables, only stressful life events, but not perceived stress, was uniquely associated with risk-taking behaviors at moderate to high levels. Significant indirect effects of SLE via avoidance coping were found for illicit drug use both concurrently and prospectively and for risky sex concurrently. For participants reporting greater stressful life experiences, substance use and risky sex behaviors become greater as avoidance coping increases. Avoidance coping was a partial mediator for the concurrent relationship between stressful life events and substance use/risky sex, but a full mediator for the prospective relationship between stressful life event and substance use. None of the coping strategies mediate the relationship between stressful life events and delinquency. Prevention and intervention strategy implications for reducing avoidance coping and promoting alternative coping styles are discussed.

摘要

过渡年龄青年（18-24 岁）报告说冒险行为（性行为、物质行为和违法行为）在增加和达到顶峰。应激性生活事件 (SLE) 与这些冒险行为有关。关于调解这些关系的因素知之甚少。本研究在 18-24 岁人群的三个领域中检验各种应对策略是否调节 SLE 与危险行为之间的关系（N= 126; M 年龄 = 21.3，SD = 1.9；52% 黑色；56% 女性）。在针对协变量进行调整并同时对两个压力变量进行建模后，只有压力性生活事件而非感知压力与中度至高度的冒险行为具有独特的相关性。SLE 通过回避应对对同时和前瞻性使用非法药物以及同时进行危险性行为有显着的间接影响。对于报告压力更大的生活经历的参与者来说，随着回避应对的增加，物质使用和危险的性行为变得更加严重。回避应对是压力性生活事件与物质使用/危险性行为之间并发关系的部分中介，但对于压力性生活事件与物质使用之间的预期关系是完全中介。没有一种应对策略可以调节压力性生活事件与犯罪之间的关系。讨论了预防和干预策略对减少回避应对和促进替代应对方式的影响。