Developmental Trajectories of Adolescent Substance Use. Issue 1 (2nd January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yamada, Samantha; Pepler, Debra; Jiang, Depeng; Cappadocia, M. Catherine; Craig, Wendy; Connolly, Jennifer
• Is Part Of: Journal of child & adolescent substance abuse. Volume 25:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 33
• Page End: 48
• Publication Date: 2016-01-02
• Subjects: adolescent development -- developmental trajectories -- substance use; Drug abuse -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Teenagers -- Drug use -- Periodicals; 616.860083
• DOI: 10.1080/1067828X.2014.884482
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1067-828X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Longitudinal data from 746 adolescents in Toronto, Canada (54% females), was gathered in eight waves over seven years (1995 through 2001), beginning when the youths were 10 to 12 years old (mean age = 11.8, SD = 1.2 years). Five trajectories of substance use were identified: chronic-high, childhood onset-rapid high, childhood onset-moderate, adolescent onset-moderate, and non-use groups. Late childhood risk factors for substance use included delinquency, academic disengagement, low parental monitoring, and associating with substance-using peers. Externalizing problems emerged as an additional risk factor for the most severe substance-using group during adolescence. Of note, the childhood onset-moderate group reported only moderate levels of substance use during adolescence despite high levels of risk during late childhood. Implications for prevention of and intervention for substance use are discussed.