title: Where is the syndrome? Examining co-occurrence among multiple problem behaviors in adolescence.
abstract: The authors examined co-occurrence among a wide range of adolescent problem behaviors: alcohol, smoking, marijuana, hard drugs, sexual activity, major and minor delinquency, direct and indirect aggression, and gambling. Using a large self-report survey of high school students, confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the problem syndrome model proposed by problem behavior theory. A 3-factor model provided better overall fit than did a single problem syndrome factor model. Contingency table analyses were used to examine the co-occurrence of problem behaviors at different levels of involvement within individuals, as well as relative risk ratios. Analyses offered modest support for a limited problem syndrome encompassing the report of high-risk involvement with alcohol, minor delinquency, direct aggression, and, to a lesser extent, marijuana. For each problem behavior, the majority of adolescents did not report high-risk involvement, and only a minority reported any involvement with multiple behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada. twilloug@brocku.ca
authors.forename: Teena
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Willoughby
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chalmers
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Busseri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013577:Syndrome