title: Self-medication among traumatized youth: structural equation modeling of pathways between trauma history, substance misuse, and psychological distress.
abstract: In an effort to self-medicate psychological distress stemming from exposure to traumatic life events, at-risk youth may be likely to seek intoxication via substance use. Concomitantly, self-medication with psychoactive substances is theorized to confer risk of developing future psychiatric and substance use disorders. The present study employed structural equation modeling to examine self-medication among a sample of 723 youth in residential treatment for antisocial behavior via recursive and non-recursive relationships between trauma history, substance misuse, and psychological distress. Results supported study hypotheses that: (a) the effects of trauma history on psychological distress are partially mediated by substance misuse, and (b) exposure to traumatic life events drives a feedback loop between substance misuse and psychological distress. Findings from this large-scale survey of adolescents exhibiting behavioral dysfunction suggest that identification of self-medication processes among traumatized youth may be crucial for developing targeted prevention and treatment initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Trinity Institute for the Addictions, Florida State University, University Center, Building C, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2570, USA. egarland@fsu.edu
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Garland
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pettus-Davis
authors.forename: Matthew O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012651:Self Medication / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*