title: Depressive symptoms, conduct problems, and risk for polysubstance use among adolescents: Results from US national surveys.
abstract: Polysubstance use in adolescence is a known precursor to chronic substance misuse. Identifying risk factors for polysubstance use is necessary to inform its prevention. The present study examined the association of elevated levels of multiple mental health symptoms with adolescents' engagement in polysubstance use (past month use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana). In a US national sample of 8th, 10th, and 12thgrade students from Monitoring the Future surveys, we estimated probability of polysubstance use associated with high levels of depressive symptoms, conduct problems, or both. Depressive symptoms and conduct problems, alone and particularly in combination, were associated with drastically elevated probability of polysubstance use. Adolescents with high levels of both depressive symptoms and conduct problems had the highest probability of polysubstance use. Among 8thand 10thgraders, probability of polysubstance use associated with co-occurring mental health problems was significantly higher for girls than boys.
authors.affiliation: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maslowsky
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI ; Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI ; Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schulenberg
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: O'Malley
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Deborah D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Kloska
keywords: co-existing problems; mental health; substance use