The Predictive Role of Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, and Personality Traits in Addiction Potential of Students at Arak University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine the predictive role of emotional intelligence, resilience, and personality traits in addiction potential of students at Arak University of Medical Sciences. Methods: The study population consisted of students of Arak University of Medical Sciences, of which 200 participants were selected using cluster sampling and filled out the following questionnaires: EI Schutte, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RIS), Personality Inventory (NEO-FFI), and Iranian Addiction Potential Scale. The research design was correlational and data were analyzed using multiple regression and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The results showed a significant negative correlation between resilience and addiction potential and significant negative relationship between components of emotional intelligence and addiction potential. Among the personality traits, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience were significantly negatively correlated with addiction potential. However, there was a significant positive relationship between neuroticism and addiction potential. Optimism/emotional regulation, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and appraisal of emotions can predict addiction potential and, in total, explain 48% of the variance in addiction potential. Conclusions: The results showed that there was a relationship between personality traits, emotional intelligence, and resilience with addiction potential. On the basis of regression analysis results, it is recommended that to reduce addiction potential, instead of investing on all the mentioned variables, to mainly focus on the variables of optimism/emotion regulation, contentiousness, neuroticism and appraisal of emotions, so that a reduction in addiction potential can be achieved with less time and lower cost.