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Paternal, Perceived Maternal, and Youth Risk Factors as Predictors of Youth Stage of Substance Use: A Longitudinal Study

NCJ Number
216247
Journal
Journal of Addictive Diseases Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: 2006 Pages: 65-75
Author(s)
Felipe Gonzalez Castro Ph.D.; Judith S. Brook Ed.D.; David W. Brook M.D.; Elizabeth Rubenstone B.A.
Date Published
2006
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This longitudinal study examined three sets of risk factor variables: parental, perceived maternal, and youth as predictors of youth stage of substance use.
Abstract
The results of this study provide support for all four hypotheses, and highlight the adverse and cumulative effects of negative parental behaviors on higher stages of adolescent substance use. First, with an increase in the number of paternal, perceived maternal, and youth risk factors, the stage of adolescent substance use behavior Time 2 (T2) exhibited a corresponding increase. Second, paternal drug use and difficulties in the father-child relationship were related to the adolescent’s T2 stage substance use. Third, perceived maternal drug use, low maternal affection, and less maternal provision of information to her child about AIDS were each associated with higher states of youth T2 substance use. Lastly, youth risk factors were also linked with higher stages of adolescent drug use. The findings imply that father-oriented treatment programs should focus on how paternal behaviors contribute to youth problem behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use. Based on empirical literature, this longitudinal study examined specific risk factors involving the father-youth and mother-youth relationships and the cumulative effects of several parental and youth risk factors, as these risk factors may predict stage of adolescent substance use. The overall hypotheses were that parental drug use and adverse parent-child relationship factors at Time 1 (T1) would be associated with higher stages of youth substance use at T2. Participants consisted of 296 drug-abusing fathers and 1 of their adolescent children, aged 12 to 20 years. References