Investigating the relationship between experiential avoidance and addiction potential in college students: The mediating role of emotion regulation styles

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between college students’ experiential avoidance and addiction potential by mediating emotion regulation styles. Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive-correlational study consisted of all undergraduate students at Kazerun Salman Farsi University in the academic year 2017-2018. 250 students were selected through a stratified sampling method from all colleges of the university. Then, they fulfilled Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (second version), Iranian Addiction Potential Scale and Affective Style Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS-19 and AMOS-21 software. Results: The findings indicated that experiential avoidance predicts students’ addiction potential directly and indirectly it can predict addiction potential through the emotion regulation styles but the mediator role was not confirmed by the emotion regulation styles titled as concealing and tolerance. Conclusion: In order to prevent addiction among young people, it will be necessary to pay attention to reducing the experiential avoidance that can exacerbate adaptive emotional adjustment and reduce predisposing to addiction.