Matching Items (2)
Description
The primary goal of this study was to investigate whether youth from an affluent community showed elevated rates of substance use and associated problems in young adulthood relative to national norms. The secondary goal was to determine if parents’ “containment,” or stringent disciplinary action, of adolescent substance use as measured in Grade 12 could help predict substance use in senior year of college, over and above other parenting factors. The final goal was to assess trends of substance use over time for stability based on categories of participants’ overall levels of use in Grade 12, (low, medium, high). Results indicated that substance use remained elevated into young adulthood, relative to national norms, consistent with extant research involving upper middle class youth. In regression analyses, high parents’ containment was associated with low substance use in senior year of college; however, the inclusion of Grade12 use as a covariate reduced this association with containment such that it was no longer statistically significant. Such results suggest a mediated effect, with Grade 12 substance use mediating the effects of Grade 12 Containment on college senior year substance use. Finally, upper middle class youth were found to remain in their relative substance use group (low, medium, high) as determined at Grade 12 through all four years of college. Taken together, these results emphasized the importance of high school substance use behaviors as a notable risk factor for problematic substance use over time.
ContributorsSmall, Phillip J (Author) / Luthar, Suniya (Thesis advisor) / Meier, Madeline (Committee member) / Infurna, Frank (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
Although child welfare services are anticipated, in part, to lessen the negative
influence of maltreatment on childhood and adolescent development, there is evidence
that involvement in the foster care system negatively affects adolescent substance
use. Within the literature, limited empirical research has emerged in regard to this issue.
The present study aims to fill this critical gap in the literature by examining the
association between baseline biological, psychological, and social risk and protective
factors on adolescent involvement in substance use, and frequency of substance use, over
a period of 24 months for foster care involved youth. Furthermore, the present study
compares substance use behaviors between youth with differing experiences of
maltreatment subtypes and severity levels. Data come from VOYAGES, a longitudinal
study of older adolescents in the custody of the Missouri Children’s Division for foster
care services. The current analysis reports on those youth who completed both the
baseline and the final interview (N=323). Key findings include significant associations
between baseline peer substance use, lowered levels of school commitment, mentorship,
and familial support with later adolescent substance use. Overall, the existence of
numerous individual risk factors far outweighs the potential of protective factors
buffering against subsequent substance use in the current study. The foster care system,
although well-intentioned, potentially barricades individuals from successfully navigating
through adolescence and early adulthood without engaging in risky behaviors such as
substance use. Given the high prevalence of substance use among those placed in the
care of the foster care system, prevention efforts for this population requires an improved
understanding of psychosocial risk and protective factors.
influence of maltreatment on childhood and adolescent development, there is evidence
that involvement in the foster care system negatively affects adolescent substance
use. Within the literature, limited empirical research has emerged in regard to this issue.
The present study aims to fill this critical gap in the literature by examining the
association between baseline biological, psychological, and social risk and protective
factors on adolescent involvement in substance use, and frequency of substance use, over
a period of 24 months for foster care involved youth. Furthermore, the present study
compares substance use behaviors between youth with differing experiences of
maltreatment subtypes and severity levels. Data come from VOYAGES, a longitudinal
study of older adolescents in the custody of the Missouri Children’s Division for foster
care services. The current analysis reports on those youth who completed both the
baseline and the final interview (N=323). Key findings include significant associations
between baseline peer substance use, lowered levels of school commitment, mentorship,
and familial support with later adolescent substance use. Overall, the existence of
numerous individual risk factors far outweighs the potential of protective factors
buffering against subsequent substance use in the current study. The foster care system,
although well-intentioned, potentially barricades individuals from successfully navigating
through adolescence and early adulthood without engaging in risky behaviors such as
substance use. Given the high prevalence of substance use among those placed in the
care of the foster care system, prevention efforts for this population requires an improved
understanding of psychosocial risk and protective factors.
ContributorsCraig, Tyleia O (Author) / Roosevelt, Stacia S (Thesis advisor) / Chamberlain, Alyssa W (Committee member) / Fine, Adam (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019