Resilience against marijuana use initiation in low-income African American youth. (February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kliewer, Wendy; Parham, Brittani
• Is Part Of: Addictive behaviors. Volume 89(2019)
• Page Start: 236
• Page End: 239
• Publication Date: 2019-02
• Subjects: Adolescents -- Marijuana -- Initiation -- Promotive factors -- Emotion regulation; Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Drug addiction -- Periodicals; Nicotine addiction -- Periodicals; Smoking -- Periodicals; Gambling -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 362.29
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.08.038
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4603

Abstract

Highlights: Given the rising potency of marijuana, delaying or curbing teen use is important. Marijuana use among Black youth is catching up to that of White youth. Promotive factors are critical components of substance use prevention programs. Emotion regulation predicted abstinence from marijuana use initiation in Black youth. Emotion regulation is teachable, and already a component of many prevention programs. Abstract: Introduction: Recent increases in marijuana use among adolescents, in concert with decreases in perceptions of harm caused by marijuana use, documented associations of marijuana use with health problems and academic disengagement, and the increase in cannabis potency over the past two decades highlight the need for effective prevention and intervention efforts to delay and/or curb marijuana use among adolescents. The present study investigated the role of four promotive factors in the role of abstinence from marijuana use initiation. Methods: Low-income, urban, African American youth ( N = 302; 54.6% female; M age = 12.05 years, SD = 1.57 years, Range = 10 to 16) participating in a larger study of stress and coping who had not initiated marijuana use at baseline were included in the sample. Goal directedness, emotion regulation, perceived support from mother, and religious coping, assessed at baseline, were evaluated for their contributions to marijuana use initiation two years later." Results: By time 3, 14.7% of the sample reported having initiated marijuana use. Univariate analyses indicated that abstainers were younger, better able to regulate their emotions, and marginally more likely to use religious coping. Logistic regression analysis was used to develop a best-fitting model describing abstinence from marijuana use; this model revealed age and emotion regulation as unique contributors to abstinence. Conclusions: Emotion regulation is a teachable skill, and is included in many school-based prevention and parenting programs. Recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of self-regulation interventions in African American youth are discussed.