The Impact of Problem-Solving Styles on Risky Behaviors: A Comparison Between Normal Adolescents and Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder
Keywords:
Problem solving styles, Risky behaviors, Normal adolescents, Adolescents with bipolar disorderAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the role of problem-solving styles in predicting risky behaviors and to compare these relationships between normal adolescents and adolescents with bipolar disorder.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional design using structural equation modeling and multigroup analysis. The statistical population consisted of adolescents referred to psychological clinics in Tehran between October and December 2024. The sample included 80 participants (40 normal adolescents and 40 adolescents with bipolar disorder), selected through convenience and purposive sampling methods. Data were collected using the Cassidy and Long Problem-Solving Styles Questionnaire and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27 and SmartPLS version 4, and group differences were examined using the Mann–Whitney U test.
Findings: The results indicated that avoidance (β = 0.352, p = 0.026) and helplessness in problem-solving (β = 0.585, p < 0.001) had significant positive effects on risky behaviors, whereas other styles were not significant predictors (p > 0.05). Multigroup analysis revealed significant differences across all paths between the two groups (p < 0.001). The effect of avoidance was very strong in adolescents with bipolar disorder (β = 0.859) but negligible in normal adolescents (β = −0.016). Additionally, confidence (β = −0.393) and creativity (β = −0.270) showed significant protective effects only in normal adolescents.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that maladaptive problem-solving styles, particularly avoidance and helplessness, are strong predictors of risky behaviors, with significantly stronger effects among adolescents with bipolar disorder. In contrast, adaptive styles function as protective factors only in normal adolescents. These results highlight the importance of developing preventive and therapeutic interventions focused on enhancing problem-solving skills, especially in clinical populations.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Sahar Salehinia, Masoumeh Falah Nodehi, Zeynab Khoshravaie, Mohebbeddin Mellatkhah (Author); Anahita Azad
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