Alcohol abuse in Russian delinquent adolescents. Associations with comorbid psychopathology, personality and parenting.
BACKGROUND
Adolescent delinquency and alcohol abuse have become a growing concern in Russia. Psychopathology, a dysfunctional family and specific personality factors have all been linked to addictive and antisocial behavior. Since delinquent youth represent a specific risk group, where alcohol misuse tends to be more pronounced than in the general population, the objectives of this study were: 1) to compare differences in personality and parenting factors, and in psychopathology in juvenile delinquents with and without alcohol abuse; and 2) to evaluate the associations between alcohol abuse, personality and parenting factors, after controlling for comorbid psychopathology.


METHODS
Psychopathology, including alcohol abuse, was assessed by means of a psychiatric interview in 229 Russian incarcerated male juvenile delinquents. In addition, alcohol use, personality, and parenting factors were assessed by self-reports.


RESULTS
Alcohol-abusing delinquents (n=138) scored significantly higher on novelty seeking and maternal emotional warmth and reported higher levels of psychopathology, as compared to nonalcohol-abusing delinquents (n=91). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that personality and parenting factors were significantly related to alcohol abuse, even after controlling for comorbid psychopathology.


CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol-abusing delinquents are at risk for a wide spectrum of psychiatric disorders. Alcohol abuse is associated with personality and parenting factors independently of comorbid psychopathology. Early interventions with high-risk youths may help to reduce their psychiatric problems and alcohol abuse.
Koposov
Roman A
RA
Institute of Psychology and Psychiatry, Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk, Russia. rkoposov@arh.ru
Ruchkin
Vladislav V
VV
Eisemann
Martin
M
Sidorov
Pavel I
PI
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D016487:Parenting; D010551:Personality; D012307:Risk Factors; D012426:Russia / Q000208:ethnology