The role of pubertal timing in the link between family history of alcohol use disorder and late adolescent substance use

Objective: Only a minority of drug and alcohol users develops a substance use disorder. Previous studies suggest that this differential vulnerability commonly reflects a developmental trajectory characterized by diverse externalizing behaviors. In this study, we examined the relation between child and adolescent externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use in a prospectively followed Canadian birth cohort, accounting for the temporal sequence of a wide variety of contributing factors. Methods: Two hundred and forty-two adolescents followed since birth (date range: 1996 to 2012) were assessed on externalizing behavior (age 17 months to 16 years), alcohol and cannabis use at age 16, age of alcohol use onset, family history of substance use problems, family functioning (age 11 to 15), sensation seeking (age 16), prenatal substance exposure, socioeconomic status (age 1 to 9), and sex. Results: Age of alcohol use onset was predicted by a family history of substance use problems, externalizing traits from ages 6 to 10 and 11 to 16, sensation seeking at age 16, prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure and family functioning at ages 11 to 15. High frequencies of alcohol and cannabis use at age 16 were both predicted by externalizing traits from ages 11 to 16, a family history of substance use problems and sensation seeking after controlling for other individual, environmental and familial variables. The association between familial substance use problems and substance use during adolescence was partially mediated by externalizing traits from age 11 to 16. Conclusions: The present findings provide prospective evidence for a developmental risk pathway for adolescent substance use, potentially identifying those who could benefit from early interventions.

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Concurrent Childhood Experiences Impact Underage Substance Use

Child Maltreatment ◽

10.1177/10775595211012480 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 107755952110124

Author(s):

Eliza Broadbent ◽

Jacob Read Miller ◽

Aaron Cheung ◽

Elizabeth Mathews Rollins ◽

Lynneth Kirsten B. Novilla ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Tobacco Use ◽

Early Initiation ◽

Adolescent Substance Use ◽

Late Adolescent ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Adolescent Substance ◽

The Cross

Adverse and advantageous childhood experiences (ACEs and counter-ACEs) during adolescence are understudied. This study examined how childhood experiences affect youth tobacco/alcohol use. Participants included 489 U.S. adolescents (baseline 10–13 years; 51% female) from the first five waves of the Flourishing Families Project. Results of the cross-lagged model showed ACEs were predictive of early tobacco use only. Counter-ACEs in wave two and wave three predicted, respectively, decreased tobacco and decreased alcohol use in the following wave. Counter-ACEs were also correlated with reduced alcohol and tobacco use in later waves. These findings indicate the salience of counter-ACEs over ACEs in persistent and late adolescent substance use, though ACEs may be important to consider to prevent very early initiation of tobacco.

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Personality, romantic relationships, and alcohol use disorder symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood: An evaluation of personality × social context interplay

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579419001111 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 1097-1112

Author(s):

Diana R. Samek ◽

Brian M. Hicks ◽

William G. Iacono ◽

Matt McGue

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Romantic Relationships ◽

Young Adulthood ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Social Contexts ◽

Romantic Partner ◽

Adolescent Substance Use ◽

Adolescent Substance ◽

Substance Use Problems

AbstractPrior research has shown that person-level characteristics (e.g., temperament, personality) correlate and interact with social-contextual factors (e.g., parent–child relationship quality, antisocial peer affiliation) to predict adolescent substance use, but less research has examined similar processes for adult substance use problems. We addressed this gap by testing for personality × romantic partner context interplay in relation to symptoms of alcohol use disorder (AUD) at ages 24 and 29. Participants were twins in the longitudinal Minnesota Twin Family Study (N = 2,769; 52% female). Results support the corresponsive principle of personality in that we found that key personality traits in late adolescence (low constraint, negative emotionality) predicted subsequent “selection” into key social contexts in early adulthood (poorer quality romantic relationships and greater romantic partner alcohol use), which subsequently reinforced those traits and associated outcomes (including correlated AUD symptoms) through late young adulthood. There were few meaningful gender differences in these associations. There was also no support for the personality × romantic partner context interaction as a significant predictor of AUD symptoms at ages 24 or 29. Taken together with prior studies, these results suggest that such interactions may be less relevant to the development of young adult AUD compared to adolescent substance use problems.

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