Job Dissatisfaction and Substance Use among Employed High School Students: The Moderating Influence of Active and Avoidant Coping Styles

Abstract

This study extends prior stress-coping-substance use research among adolescents by examining the employment context. Specifically, this study examines the relation of job dissatisfaction to substance use and the potential moderating influence of active and avoidant coping styles. Data were obtained from 446 employed high school students. Orderedprobit regression analyses reveal that job dissatisfaction is positively related to cigarette and alcohol use, but not to illicit drug use. Coping styles do not moderate the relation between job dissatisfaction and substance use. Nonetheless, coping styles have significant main-effect relations to substance use. Active coping is negatively related and avoidant coping is positively related to both cigarette and alcohol use. Neither coping style is related to illicit drug use.

Key Words:

• Job dissatisfaction
• Coping
• Employment
• Adolescence
• Substance use