Risk factors for adolescent substance abuse and dependence: data from a national sample.
A national household probability sample of 4,023 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years was interviewed by telephone about substance use, victimization experiences, familial substance use, and posttraumatic reactions to identify risk factors for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders--(4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) defined substance abuse/dependence. Age and ethnicity data were available for 3,907 participants. Major findings were (a) adolescents who had been physically assaulted, who had been sexually assaulted, who had witnessed violence, or who had family members with alcohol or drug use problems had increased risk for current substance abuse/dependence; (b) posttraumatic stress disorder independently increased risk of marijuana and hard drug abuse/dependence; and (c) when effects of other variables were controlled, African Americans, but not Hispanics or Native Americans, were at approximately 1/3 the risk of substance abuse/dependence as Caucasians.
Kilpatrick
D G
DG
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina 29425-0742, USA. kilpatdg@musc.edu
Acierno
R
R
Saunders
B
B
Resnick
H S
HS
Best
C L
CL
Schnurr
P P
PP
D000293:Adolescent; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D013287:Illicit Drugs