title: Parent-child conflict and drug use in college women: a moderated mediation model of self-control and mindfulness.
abstract: This cross-sectional study examined the association between parent-child conflict and illicit drug use in a sample of female college students (N = 928). The mediating roles of self-control and mindfulness, as well as an interaction between self-control and mindfulness, were examined in a moderated mediation model for the purposes of expanding etiological theory and introducing targets for the prevention and treatment of drug abuse. Whereas deficits in self-control were found to facilitate the positive relation observed between parent-child conflict and the likelihood of experiencing drug-related problems, an interaction between mindfulness and self-control helped explain the association between parent-child conflict and intensity of drug-related problems. Parent-child conflict was related to low mindfulness when self-control was low, and low mindfulness in turn was related to a higher intensity of drug-related problems. This association did not exist for women with high self-control. Findings are consistent with developmental research on the etiology of drug use and the protective properties of mindfulness and self-control. Mindfulness as a potential target of intervention for drug users with low self-control to prevent drug-related problems is explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Georgia State University.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tarantino
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Dorian A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lamis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Elizabeth D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Georgia State University.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Dvorak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064866:Mindfulness; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D000068356:Self-Control; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult