The protective and risk effects of parents and peers on substance use, attitudes and behaviors of Mexican and Mexican American female and male adolescents

Protective effects of ethnic enclaves: Testing pathways to alcohol use and use disorders in Mexican American young adults

Ethnic enclave residence is associated with decreased risk for drinking and related problems, but less is known about the mechanisms that explain this association. Informed by theories of social control, we used a multilevel framework to examine whether negative attitudes toward drinking mediated associations between ethnic enclave residence (i.e., neighborhood linguistic isolation) and alcohol outcomes among Mexican American young adults (N = 628) in Southern California. Model 1 assessed mediation effects in the pathways from linguistic isolation to current drinking and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Model 2 adjusted for parental drinking attitudes and neighborhood alcohol availability. There were differential associations by gender in direct effects of linguistic isolation and negative drinking attitudes on both drinking and AUD. Among women only, linguistic isolation was related to greater abstinence and decreased AUD after accounting for social control proxies of parent attitudes and alcohol availability. Young adults' own drinking attitudes did not mediate relationships between linguistic isolation and alcohol outcomes. This study offers evidence on the importance of disaggregating Hispanic national groups by gender to uncover social mechanisms within ethnic enclave settings for tailored supports in reducing risk of drinking and alcohol-related harms.

Why adolescents conform to high-status peers: Associations among conformity, identity alignment, and self-esteem

This study examined whether conformity to high- but not low-status e-confederates was associated with increases in identification with popular peers and subsequent increases in self-esteem. A sample of 250 adolescents (55.1% male; Mage = 12.70 years; 40.3% White, 28.2% Black, 23.4% Hispanic/Latino, and 7.7% multiracial/other) participated in a well-established experimental chat room paradigm where they were exposed to norms communicated by high- and low-status e-confederates. Results revealed that for boys in the high-status condition only, but not girls, the positive relation between conformity and self-esteem was mediated by greater response alignment with popular peers. These findings bolster prior research by suggesting that conformity to popular peers may be partly motivated by drives for self-esteem and alignment with a valued reference group.

Gender and substance use among Latinx college students: An application of social structure social learning theory

Social structure social learning theory (SSSL) is a theoretical framework that has been used to understand gender differences in substance use. However, the Latinx community remains understudied in this body of research. Drawing on a Latinx college student sample, we tested the extent to which four social learning mechanisms specified by SSSL theory (positive definitions, neutralizing definitions, differential association, and differential reinforcement) explained gender differences in three substance use outcomes: alcohol intoxication, marijuana use, and illicit prescription drug use. We found that men reported greater levels of all three substance use outcomes, and that the social learning mechanisms mediated between 24% to 44% of these gender effects. We also found some evidence that the effects of differential association and differential reinforcement were stronger for men than women, suggesting that women may exhibit greater resilience when exposed to peer influence. We discuss the implications for SSSL theory and the study of substance use and gender differences in substance use among Latinx populations.

Etiologic mechanisms in an adapted family-based preventive intervention for underage alcohol use in Mexico: Results of an exploratory pilot study

Alcohol use represents a global health problem, especially for Latin American youth. As part of the Global Smart Drinking Goals campaign, a family-based preventive intervention was adapted and piloted in Mexico based on an existing evidence-based program, Guiding Good Choices. In this study, we explored the malleability and session-specific mean-level changes in protective and risk factors targeted by the adapted family intervention as related to the prevention of underage alcohol use and abuse. The sample consisted of 177 parents working at four private local companies who had children between the ages of 8 and 16. Data were collected before and after each program session. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine growth trajectories and session-specific mean differences for selected etiologic factors. Significant effects on protective and risk factors were found. Among protective factors, positive family involvement showed the most considerable linear growth over time, while clear standards for youth showed the largest within-session increase. The greatest linear decrease in risk was observed for family conflict, which also showed the greatest pre-, and post-session reduction. Our findings suggest that the adapted program helped families develop protection against, and reduce risk of, alcohol use in their adolescent children. Results from this exploratory pilot study provide support for further rigorous evaluation and dissemination of the adapted intervention for Hispanic families.

Latina mothers' perspectives on adverse experiences and protection of Latinx youth in an agricultural community

BACKGROUND

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are a measure of childhood toxic stress that have a dose-dependent relationship with many adult health outcomes. While ACEs have been validated across diverse populations to measure neglect, abuse, and family dysfunction, they do not specifically assess trauma related to racism/xenophobia and immigration. 54% of Latinx youth in the United States are immigrants or children of immigrants and a large group with potentially unmeasured trauma. This study looks beyond ACEs to identify adverse and protective factors for healthy development among Latinx youth in an agricultural community through the perspectives of their mothers.

METHODS

Twenty mothers of adolescent participants in A Crecer: the Salinas Teen Health Study (a prospective cohort study of 599 adolescents) completed semi-structured interviews in Spanish. Interviews focused on mothers' perspectives on community resources, parenting strategies, parenting support systems, and their future aspirations for their children. Four coders completed iterative rounds of thematic coding drawing from published ACEs frameworks (original ACEs, community ACEs) and immigrant specific adverse events arising from the data.

RESULTS

Mothers in this study reported adverse experiences captured within community-level ACEs but also distinct experiences related to intergenerational trauma and immigrant-related adversities. The most cited community-level ACEs were housing instability and community violence. Immigrant related adversities included experiences of systemic racism with loss of resources, political instability limiting structural resources, and language-limited accessibility. These were exacerbated by the loss of family supports due to immigration related family-child separation including deportations and staggered parent-child migration. Having experienced intergenerational trauma and systemic oppression, mothers discussed their strategies for building family unity, instilling resilience in their children, and improving socioeconomic opportunities for their family.

CONCLUSIONS

Latina mothers shared the impacts of immigrant-related experiences on systemic inequities in the United States which are currently missing from the ACEs framework. Immigrant specific adverse events include language-limited accessibility, or family-child separations, and policies impacting structural resources for immigrant families. Mothers highlighted their capacity to build resilience in their children and buffer impacts of systemic racism. Community-tailored interventions can build on this foundation to reduce health disparities and promote health equity in this population.

Risky Sexual Behavior Among Mexican-Origin Emerging Adults in Los Angeles

This study examined the empirical link between substance use, and family, school, and contextual factors relevant to emerging adulthood and Mexican-origin emerging adults' sexual risk-taking behavior using a longitudinal design that followed the respondents from adolescence to emerging adulthood (n = 520). Overall, we found that engaging in one high-risk sexual behavior was associated with higher odds of engaging in another. While alcohol and substance use was associated with higher odds of engaging in risky sexual behavior, living with parents, having at least one parent who was a college graduate, sharing a higher level of parental closeness, being more bicultural, starting college, a new school, or classes, and feeling like an adult were associated with lower odds of engaging in sexual risk-taking behavior. Contrary to the study hypothesis, a higher level of family cohesion was associated with higher odds of such behavior. Lastly, male respondents tended to have more than 3 sexual partners but were less likely to not use condoms compared with their female counterparts.

Pathways linking ethnic discrimination and drug-using peer affiliation to underage drinking status among Mexican-origin adolescents

Using a three-wave longitudinal data set of Mexican-origin adolescents (N = 602, Mage = 12.92, SD = 0.91 at Wave 1), this study examines parallel pathways from early exposure to ethnic discrimination and drug-using peers, separately, to underage drinking status by late adolescence. Negative affect was expected to mediate the link from ethnic discrimination to underage drinking status (the stress-induced pathway), whereas social alcohol expectancy was expected to mediate the link from drug-using peers to underage drinking status (the socialization pathway). Our findings lend support to the stress-induced pathway while controlling for the socialization pathway. For the stress-induced pathway, we found that early ethnic discrimination experiences were related to higher likelihood of having engaged in underage drinking by late adolescence through elevated negative affect sustained across adolescence. For the socialization pathway, we found no association between affiliation with drug-using peers in early adolescence and underage drinking status, either directly or indirectly. Present findings highlight the unique role of early ethnic discrimination experiences in underage drinking among Mexican-origin adolescents, over and above the effect of drug-using peers. Alcohol use interventions targeting ethnic minority adolescents should account for adolescents' ethnic discrimination experiences by helping adolescents develop adaptive coping strategies to handle negative affect induced by discrimination (e.g., reappraisal) rather than using alcohol to self-medicate. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Age of onset and alcohol and cannabis use disorders among Mexican American young adults: Robust substance-specific effects of early use as a risk factor

We investigated the substance-specific and cross-substance risk associated with early onset (before age 15) of drunkenness and cannabis use in the subsequent development of alcohol (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) in Mexican American young adults. Survival analyses employed Cox proportional hazards models for AUD and CUD, separately. In cross-risk analyses, we modeled estimates for those participants reporting lifetime use of both substances. Early onset of drunkenness and early onset of cannabis use were associated with shorter time to AUD and CUD, respectively, even after accounting for psychiatric disorders. While there were no cross-risk associations, adjusting for psychiatric disorders and early onset cannabis use attenuated the association of early drunkenness with AUD.

Family Connections and the Latino Health Paradox: Exploring the Mediating Role of Loneliness in the Relationships Between the Latina/o Cultural Value of Familism and Health

This study aims to understand Latina/o health from a social relationships perspective. Specifically, a major goal of the study is to explain how despite disadvantages (e.g., lower income and less education), Latinas/os in some cases have superior health compared to non-Latina/o whites, a phenomenon known as the Latino Health Paradox. Based on the central role of familial relationships in Latina/o culture, and utilizing Hawkley and Cacioppo's theoretical model of loneliness and health as a foundation for the study, the premise underlying this research is that the Latina/o cultural value of familism has a beneficial impact on health via reduced loneliness. Participants were 255 adults who identified as Latina/o (N = 139) or non-Latina/o white (N = 116), ranging in age from 19-88. Results indicate that being Latina/o predicted strong endorsement of familism, that predicted lower loneliness, and lower loneliness subsequently predicted better overall health, mental health, and health practices. These results suggest that the cultural value of familism provides health-related benefits for Latinas/os, which contributes to understanding the Latino health paradox. Results also underscore the value of including loneliness in studies examining the impact of cultural values on health, as only loneliness had statistically significant direct associations with all three health outcomes.

Contributing Factors of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake in the Latinx Population: A Narrative Review Using the Social-Ecological Model

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in the Latinx population has been a topic of increasing interest due to higher rates of consumption in this population, as well as higher prevalence of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity. SSB behaviors are influenced by multiple factors across the socio-ecological model. Understanding these factors can inform future intervention development and improve SSB consumption and overall health. Therefore, this narrative review identifies factors contributing to SSB consumption, as well as interventions conducted to address SSB consumption in the Latinx population residing in the United States. Contributing factors that are not currently addressed in published interventions are highlighted with the intent to inform the development of future comprehensive interventions.

Gender Differences in Peer Influence on Autistic Traits in Special Needs Schools-Evidence From Staff Reports

Children and adolescents with an intellectual disability (ID) and autistic traits often attend special needs schools where they are surrounded by peers with diverse characteristics. Given the role that peers can play in social development, we examined whether autistic traits development in students with ID and high levels of such characteristics are influenced by the level of autistic traits among the schoolmates they like most. Furthermore, we investigated the degree to which this peer influence susceptibility depends on students’ gender. A longitudinal design, with data collection points at the beginning and the end of a school year, was used. Staff reported on 330 students with high levels of autistic traits (20.6% girls; age 10.17 years, SD = 3.74) who attended 142 classrooms in 16 Swiss special needs schools. Results showed that students’ future individual level of autistic traits (T2) was not predicted by the autistic traits level of preferred peers (T1), controlling for individual autistic traits at T1, level of general functioning, gender, and age. However, the peer effect was significantly moderated by students’ gender, indicating that girls but not boys were susceptible to peer influence. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for understanding autistic traits development and directions of support for children and adolescents in their peer context.

Increasing Access and Quality of Behavior-Analytic Services for the Latinx Population

Latinxs are the largest minority group in the United States, making up approximately 18% of the total population. Although there is a critical need for the behavioral health care system, including behavior analysts, to provide services to support the needs of the Latinx community, access to quality behavioral and mental health services continues to be lacking for the Black, Indigenous, and people of color populations. This article highlights some of the cultural and language factors that should be considered by behavior-analytic providers who have a shared responsibility to make culturally and linguistically appropriate services available to this population. Additionally, recommendations for systemic action across service providers, professional organizations, behavior-analytic training programs, and researchers are suggested to address these barriers. Recommendations for bringing about this systemic change are suggested across three domains: (a) increasing diversity in the behavior-analytic workforce, (b) enhancing training in cultural- and language-related issues, and (c) conducting research on cultural and language adaptations to behavior-analytic evidence-based treatments.

Using the Ecological Validity Model to adapt parent-involved interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Latinx community: A conceptual review

BACKGROUND

Parent involvement in interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) provides parents with education about ASD diagnosis and treatment, improves parent-child interactions, and offers access to cost-effective resources. The Latinx population represents the fastest growing minority population in the United States and a growing percentage of children seeking ASD intervention services.

AIMS

Identify factors that impact Latinx parent involvement in interventions for children with ASD as an example of cultural considerations for diverse families and communities.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

In this conceptual overview, we synthesize literature on cultural considerations for intervention design/adaptation for Latinx families and parent involvement in interventions for children with ASD through the lens of the Ecological Validity Model.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Frameworks such as the Ecological Validity Model can be used when creating or adapting interventions for specific cultural groups. Parent-involved interventions for children with ASD in the Latinx community should consider language of intervention delivery, family make-up, community support, disability knowledge of the family, the therapeutic alliance, and methods of implementation.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Incorporating cultural components into parent-involved interventions will best support intervention implementation and dissemination in diverse communities. Research is needed into the process and outcomes of intervention programs in order to increase understanding of how specific cultural dimensions impact participation in and efficacy of parent-involved interventions for Latinx families of children with ASD.

Daily Family Connection and Objective Sleep in Latinx Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Familism Values and Family Communication

Spending time with family ("family connection") is a salient aspect of adolescents' daily lives linked with healthy sleep. Less is known regarding the unique effects of parent and sibling connection on sleep. This study examined daily and average associations between parent/sibling connection and objective sleep (duration, efficiency) in a sample of Latinx adolescents (N = 195; Mage = 18.11, SD = 0.41; 65.6% female) and explored familism values and family communication as moderators. Adolescents slept longer on days that they spent more time with siblings, and youth who typically spent more time with parents had longer sleep durations. Family communication and familism-obligation moderated associations between family connection and sleep. These results provide support for the role of family interactions in promoting healthy sleep among Latinx adolescents.

Relevance of Athlete-Specific Psychosocial Factors in High School Student-Athlete Alcohol Consumption

Background: Research suggests that adolescent student-athletes are at heightened risk for alcohol consumption. The identification of unique, modifiable risk factors for alcohol use in this population is needed. Purpose/Objectives: Building on previous work highlighting the importance of each of athlete-specific drinking motives and alcohol expectancies, this study investigated whether athlete-specific psychosocial predictors optimize our ability to predict adolescent athlete alcohol consumption after accounting for general psychosocial predictors. Methods: Participants were 352 current high school student-athletes who completed a self-report questionnaire about their alcohol use attitudes, behaviors, and cognitions. Results: Hierarchical regression revealed that among the total sample, gender, class year, liquid courage/sociability, sexuality, and negative alcohol expectancies, and negative athletic-functioning alcohol expectancies predicted alcohol consumption. Among lifetime drinkers, gender, class year, enhancement motives, conformity motives (negative), negative athlete-functioning alcohol expectancies, and sport-related coping motives predicted alcohol consumption. Conclusions/Importance: Negative athletic-functioning alcohol expectancies and sport-related coping motives emerged as important, athlete-specific predictors of adolescent athlete alcohol use. These factors provide important opportunities for targeted prevention efforts.

Exploring substance use disorders and relapse in Mauritian male addicts

Background

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) places a heavy burden on societal and health systems given its association with high mortality and morbidity rates worldwide, including Mauritius. Illicit substances act as a positive reinforcement and stimulate addiction through its pleasure-seeking attributes.

Aim

This study focused on identifying the risk factors leading to SUD among Mauritian male addicts as well as examining the potency of those factors in SUD development. The study also aimed at determining the prevalence of relapse and its causation.

Research setting

A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of six months using a sample of 180 male addicts registered in a public hospital. A questionnaire investigating dimensions such as risk factors, self-esteem and peer pressure was administered.

Findings

A high percentage of relapse was noted amongst users within the first year of abstinence. Majority of respondents originated from nuclear or single parents’ family and were deprived of adequate social supports given their marital status. 57.5% of participants had a positive family history of SUD. Cannabis was the most commonly abused substance and 76.2% of the addicts were introduced to drugs through curiosity. Transposing the results against the Gateway Drug Theory showed a constant progression from soft to hard drugs for male addicts, a trend which was consistent with literature. Lastly, a theoretical model was developed based on the strong statistical association found between impulsivity and reduced thought processes prior to relapse; data revealing increased impulsivity which is a common trait in antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder as being largely responsible for relapse.

Conclusion

The study was successful in bringing out the most common risk factors of SUDs which are linked to low socioeconomic status. The inability of addicts to progress with their rehabilitation given the alarming 92% of relapse was related to social pressure as prime deterrent to successful remission. Programmes involving relapse prevention must implemented in the first year of abstinence to facilitate rehabilitation.

Perceived ethnic discrimination, ethnic-racial socialization, and substance use among ethnic minority adolescents

Perceived discrimination is a significant problem among ethnic minority adolescents and has been consistently linked to negative outcomes, including substance use, although few studies examine this relation with more than one time point. The present study adds to the literature by examining whether ethnic-racial socialization moderates the effects of perceived discrimination at time 1 on recent substance use six months later in a sample of ethnic minority, public high school students in Southern California. The results from analyses of survey data showed that perceived discrimination did not predict the likelihood of the outcomes, and they suggest that discrimination based on attributes other than ethnicity, such as immigration or documentation status, may be operating in the sample. Future research should simultaneously analyze effects of discrimination by type of attribute as well as level (e.g., intragroup, intergroup, and structural). With regard to ethnic-racial socialization in the multivariate models, cultural socialization was negatively related to the likelihood of the outcomes. Preparation for bias was positively related to the likelihood of the outcomes. Promotion of mistrust was not statistically significantly related to the likelihood of the outcomes. Although the socialization variables did not moderate the effect of perceived discrimination, they were clearly related to substance use in multiple ways, suggesting that future research continue to distinguish the effects of socialization by type to better understand how they can be addressed to optimize youth outcomes.

The influence of perceived parenting on substance initiation among Mexican children

Parents shape their children's behaviors and impact their developmental trajectories. Despite this, few studies have examined the potential relationship between child reported parenting factors and lifetime substance use and use intentions. The current study examined the potential impact of parenting factors (i.e., positive parenting, supervision, parental illicit substance use, substance-specific communication) on early substance use and intentions among Latinx children. Data for the present study utilized a representative sample of Mexican children (n = 52,171; 5th and 6th grades) who participated in a national survey on substance use. Children reported their demographics, lifetime substance use/intentions, and perceived parenting characteristic and practices. Child reported parental (i.e., individual or both parents) illicit substance use was associated with the largest increases in risk for reporting lifetime use of all substances examined. Higher levels of positive parenting were consistently associated with reductions in risk for reporting intentions for and use of all substances examined. Parent-child substance specific communication was not significantly related to child reported lifetime use or use intentions, with the exception of a minor decrease in the odds of reporting lifetime inhalant use. Supervision was associated with small to modest increase in risk. Substance use prevention efforts targeting Latinx populations may benefit from promoting positive parenting and direct supervision during childhood. Targeted prevention efforts may be needed for Latinx children exposed to parental illicit substance use, as they may be especially at risk for early substance initiation.

The vulnerability to alcohol, tobacco, and drug use of adolescents in Hong Kong: a phenomenological study

BACKGROUND

In Hong Kong, the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) is associated with strong peer influences; frequently absent parents; academic pressures; and a lack of interpersonal skills to cope with stress and conflict. It is posited that this social context alters the nature of the adolescent risk of using ATOD. The study aimed to explore how social interactions in their local context shape experiences of adolescents who smoke or use alcohol with their parents and other significant people (e.g., teachers, peers) in their lives.

RESULTS

The participants consistently indicated that the communication of risk was fundamentally influenced by the attachment between the primary parent(s) and the child. In secure attachments, parents could positively discourage ATOD use by instilling fear or expressing regret or disappointment over its use. However, some parents expressed an overly permissive attitude about ATOD use, or stated that they had a limited ability to influence their child, or that the harm arising from their child's use of ATOD would be minimal. Under these conditions, the authors posited that the potential influence of peers to disrupt parental attachments was stronger.

CONCLUSIONS

Descriptive phenomenology was adopted in this study and Colaizzi's method was used to analyse the collected data. Focus group interviews were conducted with 45 adolescents, 11 parents, and 22 school teachers and social workers in two districts in Hong Kong. A secure attachment between a parent and a child enhances the child's sense of self-efficacy in avoiding addictive behaviours such as ATOD use. In contrast, insecure parent-child attachments may trigger children to resist social norms, and disrupt their parental attachments. In these instances, parents may inadvertently convey the message that their children do not need protection from the risks of using ATOD. The key findings suggest that reinforcing secure parental attachments, as well as emphasizing how messages of vulnerability to ATOD are conveyed, may counter balance pressures (including peer influence) to use these substances. Further research is needed to uncover mechanisms of communication that add to the vulnerability of adolescents to using ATOD, and to the negative long-term consequences from ATOD use.

Gender Differences in Harmful Use of Alcohol Among Korean Adults

Objectives

Harmful alcohol consumption is associated with considerable social and economic damage to individuals and society. Because gender and ethnic background influence alcohol intake differently, examining gender specific factors influencing harmful drinking is necessary. This study investigated gender differences in alcohol consumption, harmful drinking, and the associated factors among Korean adults.

Methods

We analyzed the data from the 2012–2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data from survey participants aged 20–64 years (N = 18,581) were included. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used for alcohol dependence, and pooled weights were used. Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results

The prevalence of harmful alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score ≥ 16) was 10.7% in the total sample; 18.4% in men and 3.4% in women, which constituted a significant difference. Education, marital status, smoking, perceived stress, and depressive feeling were associated with harmful drinking in both genders. However, household income, occupation, and perceived health status were associated with harmful drinking only in men.

Conclusion

Since there are gender differences in harmful drinking and alcohol dependence, gender tailored prevention and intervention strategies for alcohol dependence are necessary including consideration of smoking, stress, and depressive feeling.

Parental and peer social support is associated with healthier physical activity behaviors in adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis of Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (TX SPAN) data

BACKGROUND

Parental and peer support can influence children's physical activity; however, these associations have not been fully examined in a multi-ethnic population across early and late adolescence. The objective of this study was to examine associations between perceived parental/peer social support, perceived parental disapproval for not exercising, and physical activity/screen time behaviors among a multi-ethnic sample of adolescents.

METHODS

The Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (TX SPAN) survey is a cross-sectional statewide probability-based survey, used to assess obesity-related behaviors such as diet and physical activity. The SPAN 2009-2011 study measured 8th and 11th grade students using a self-report questionnaire with established psychometric properties, along with objectively measured height and weight. Associations were examined using multiple logistic and linear regression.

RESULTS

For every 1-point increase in parental physical activity support, adolescents had 1.14 higher odds of engaging in five or more days of moderate physical activity per week (p < 0.001), and 1.12 higher odds of engaging in three or more days of vigorous physical activity per week (p < 0.001). For every 1-point increase in peer physical activity support, adolescents had 1.17 higher odds of engaging in five or more days of moderate physical activity per week (p < 0.001), and 1.15 higher odds of engaging in three or more days of vigorous physical activity per week (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Parental and peer social support is associated with positive physical activity behaviors in adolescents. Strategies to focus on parent and peer support should be integral to intervention programs designed to increase physical activity in adolescents in middle and high schools.

Examining marianismo gender role attitudes, ethnic identity, mental health, and substance use in Mexican American early adolescent girls

Given the increased trend in substance use patterns among Latina adolescents in recent years, the need for research that identifies gender-specific and culturally relevant protective factors is essential in tailoring interventions. The current study examined the links between marianismo gender role attitudes, ethnic identity, and substance use abstinence among 277 low-income Mexican American early adolescent girls. Mental health was also examined as a potential moderator in these links. Results of linear regression analysis revealed that familismo, virtuous/chaste, and spiritual marianismo gender role attitudes were predictive of stronger ethnic identity; conversely, self-silencing marianismo attitudes were predictive of weaker ethnic identity. Second, results of hierarchical logistic regressions revealed that both virtuous/chaste marianismo gender role attitudes and mental health (low rates of psychological distress) were inversely linked with substance use; furthermore, they had a combined link that was related to even lower rates of substance use among participants. However, ethnic identity did not have a direct or moderating effect on substance use. Findings suggest that the promotion of positive components of marianismo and mental health may have a protective effect against early substance use in Mexican American early adolescent girls.

Parenting Processes and Adolescent Adjustment in Immigrant Latino Families: The Use of Residual Centering to Address the Multicollinearity Problem

Family cohesion and parental monitoring promote Latino adolescents' positive adjustment. For Latino immigrant families, these parenting processes tend to be interdependent due to shared roots in cultural values emphasizing family togetherness and parental authority. This covariance poses a significant methodological problem with respect to multicollinearity. The present article uses a novel technique-residual centering-to remove shared variance among family cohesion and parental monitoring constructs and, in turn, to identify how the unique variance of each is associated with Latino adolescent adjustment. Participants include 249 9th and 10th graders in Mexican and Central American immigrant families. We compared findings from structural equation models in which parenting constructs were examined simultaneously with residual-centered models, in which shared variance among parenting constructs was removed for each parenting variable. Findings from residual-centered models revealed that parents' monitoring of youth's daily activities was associated with less alcohol use and fewer youth depressive symptoms, and that parents' monitoring of youth's peer activities outside the home was associated with less marijuana use and more depressive symptoms. Family cohesion was unrelated to Latino youth outcomes in residual-centered models. By isolating specific, "pure" parenting effects, residual centering can clarify the ways in which family cohesion and parental monitoring behaviors matter for Latino adolescents' adjustment.

Prevention of alcohol use in older teens: A randomized trial of an online family prevention program

This study examines effects of a randomized controlled trial for an online, family-based prevention program for older teens, Smart Choices 4 Teens, on alcohol use and related outcomes. Families (N = 411; teen age M = 16.4, SD = 0.5) were randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition in 2014-2015. Both intent to treat (ITT) and dosage models were conducted. ITT models: At the 6-month follow-up, teens in the experimental condition reported fewer friends who had been drunk, and parents in the experimental group reported more communication about social host laws. At the 12-month follow-up, parents in the experimental condition reported consuming fewer drinks than parents in the control group. Dosage models: At the 6-month follow-up, dosage was inversely related to teen drinking in the past 6 months or 30 days, frequency of teen drinking during the past 6 months and 30 days, drinks consumed by teens over the past 6 months, teen drunkenness and binge-drinking during the past 30 days, teen reported communication about safe drinking and positively related to parent and teen reported communication about social host laws. At 12 months, dosage was inversely related to teen alcohol use, frequency of teen drinking over the past 30 days, drinks consumed by teens over the past 6 months and 30 days, and teen drunkenness over the past 6 months. Results suggest that Smart Choices 4 Teens is beneficial for families. Dissemination and implementation strategies that motivate completion of program content will improve outcomes related to older teens' alcohol use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Avoiding antisocial behavior among adolescents: The positive influence of classmates' prosocial behavior

INTRODUCTION

Prior research has shown that classmates' behavior serves as a descriptive norm for adolescents' individual behavior. While earlier studies primarily focused on negative peer influence, classmates' prosocial behavior might be associated with positive individual development. We hypothesized more classroom-level prosocial behavior predicts a lower likelihood of future antisocial behavior of individual students over and above the effect of classmates' antisocial behavior. We further assumed this effect is mediated by adolescents' attitudes toward antisocial behavior.

METHODS

To test our hypotheses, we used three data collection points from a longitudinal study among lower secondary school students in Switzerland (N = 864; mean age at T1: 13.81 years; male gender: 52%). Participants completed self-reported assessments on prosocial behavior, antisocial behavior, and antisocial attitudes. Data were analyzed using multilevel models.

RESULTS

Results indicated higher levels of prosocial behavior among classmates predict lower levels of individual students' future antisocial behavior. However, the effect of classmates' prosocial behavior was not mediated by individual attitudes toward antisocial behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

While in the context of antisocial behavior the peer group is often assumed a risk, our results indicate that school peers can also exert positive influence. Hereby our finding of an effect of prosocial peer norms over and above antisocial peer norms suggests that building up prosocial behaviors in the classroom may be a promising approach for the prevention of antisocial behavior.

Marihuana y drogas ilícitas en jóvenes mexicanos: Factores de riesgo y protección asociados a la edad de inicio del consumo

Objetivo: Determinar factores de riesgo y protección asociados a la edad de inicio del consumo de mariguana y drogas ilícitas en jóvenes mexicanos. Método: Se analizaron datos de 40,366 jóvenes participantes de la Encuesta de Cohesión Social para la Prevención de la Violencia y la Delincuencia (ECOPRED). Las variables asociadas con la edad de inicio del consumo de mariguana y otras drogas ilícitas fueron determinadas mediante dos modelos de riesgos proporcionales. Resultados: La edad mediana de inicio en consumo de drogas ilícitas osciló entre los 15 y 18 años, mientras que en consumo de marihuana fue de 17 años. En ambos modelos, tener un par consumidor de marihuana fue el factor más fuertemente asociado al inicio de consumo. Discusión: La edad de inicio de consumo revelada en el presente estudio resultó similar a aquella propuesta en investigaciones previas. A pesar de las diferencias de factores en cada modelo, tener un par consumidor de marihuana y el consumo previo de tabaco (variable moderadora) resultaron los factores más fuertemente asociados en ambos modelos.

A Social Ecological Study of Psychological Distress among Recently Immigrated, Latina Young Adults

The present study examined potential individual-, cultural-, and interpersonal-level determinants of psychological distress among young adult Latina immigrants during their initial months in the United States (US). Five hundred thirty participants (aged 18-23 years old) immigrated an average of one year before assessment. Higher levels of psychological distress (as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory, Derogatis & Fitzpatrick, 2004) were associated with undocumented immigration status, more immersion in the dominant (US) society, and more acculturative stress. Participants who more strongly endorsed certain marianismo beliefs [i.e., Latina women should be (a) the spiritual leaders of their family and are responsible for the family's spiritual growth and (b) virtuous and chaste] indicated less distress. Participants who endorsed the belief that Latina women should be subordinate and self-silencing to maintain harmony in relationships reported more intense distress. Women who endorsed the belief that Latinas should be the main source of strength for their family also reported more distress. Participants' attachment to their social network served as a moderator of several direct effects. Participants who experienced close attachment to their social network and more ethnic immersion reported substantively less distress than other participants did. Participants reporting lower attachment and lower endorsement of the virtuous and chaste belief experienced more distress than their peers did. Participants indicating lower attachment and higher endorsement of subordinate and self-silencing beliefs also reported more distress than peers did. Finally, participants who spent less time in the US and reported lower attachment indicated higher levels of distress. Findings inform interventions to eliminate mental health disparities affecting Latina young adults.

Perceived harm as a mediator of the relationship between social norms and marijuana use and related consequences among American Indian youth

BACKGROUND

American Indian (AI) youth are at increased risk for marijuana use with marijuana use rates on or near reservations 1.6-4.8 times higher compared to non-AI youth in the same regions (Stanley et al., 2014). One outcome of the changing social and legal acceptance of marijuana is a decrease in perceived risk among adolescents. It is unknown whether these changes in perceptions of marijuana-related harm will presage higher rates of use among AI youth. Perceptions of others use (i.e., descriptive norms) and approval (i.e., injunctive norms) are consistent predictors of marijuana use and consequences. Moreover, large scale surveys have shown that gender is an important moderator of the relationship between norms and marijuana use in AI samples.

METHOD

The current study is a large epidemiologic study of 7th-12th grade self-identified American Indian students (N=3050). We examined the direct relations between descriptive and injunctive norms and marijuana use/consequences among AI youth, as well as the mediating role of perceived harm and the moderating role of gender.

RESULTS

Results of a multi-group path analysis revealed a similar pattern of findings for males and females. In addition, there were direct effects for descriptive but not injunctive norms on marijuana use/consequences, and the sequential pathway from norms to use/consequences via perceived harm held.

DISCUSSION

Findings suggest that normative perceptions and perceived harm are antecedents of marijuana use/consequences and are prime targets for large scale interventions on AI reservations.

Gender differences in trajectories of alcohol use from ages 13 to 33 across Latina/o ethnic groups

BACKGROUND

Research examining alcohol use trajectories among Latina/os is scarce. Further, prior findings on alcohol use by ethnic group and gender is mixed. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a.) to examine developmental trajectories for two types of alcohol (drunkenness and heavy drinking) use across four Latina/o ethnic groups (Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Central/South American, and Mexican Americans) and, (b.) to examine the role of gender and ethnicity in developmental trajectories of drunkenness and heavy drinking among Latina/os.

METHODS

Data were drawn from Waves I-IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The sample consisted of 1670 Latina/os that were followed from adolescence into adulthood. Multi-level logistic regression models were used to estimate drunkenness and heavy drinking trajectories and trajectories by gender.

RESULTS

indicate that, for all four ethnic groups examined, the probability of drunkenness and heavy drinking gradually increased in adolescence, peaked in "emerging adulthood", and decreased as they transitioned into adulthood. Findings also show divergent age trajectories by gender, but patterns varied across ethnicity and alcohol use outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Key findings from this study demonstrate that among Latina/os, there are critical developmental periods for reported drunkenness and heavy drinking in the last 12 months, and that ethnicity and gender play substantial roles in the development of hazardous alcohol use over the life course.

The influence of peer behavior as a function of social and cultural closeness: A meta-analysis of normative influence on adolescent smoking initiation and continuation

Although the influence of peers on adolescent smoking should vary depending on social dynamics, there is a lack of understanding of which elements are most crucial and how this dynamic unfolds for smoking initiation and continuation across areas of the world. The present meta-analysis included 75 studies yielding 237 effect sizes that examined associations between peers' smoking and adolescents' smoking initiation and continuation with longitudinal designs across 16 countries. Mixed-effects models with robust variance estimates were used to calculate weighted-mean Odds ratios. This work showed that having peers who smoke is associated with about twice the odds of adolescents beginning (OR ¯ = 1.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.76, 2.19]) and continuing to smoke (OR ¯ = 1.78, 95% CI [1.55, 2.05]). Moderator analyses revealed that (a) smoking initiation was more positively correlated with peers' smoking when the interpersonal closeness between adolescents and their peers was higher (vs. lower); and (b) both smoking initiation and continuation were more positively correlated with peers' smoking when samples were from collectivistic (vs. individualistic) cultures. Thus, both individual as well as population level dynamics play a critical role in the strength of peer influence. Accounting for cultural variables may be especially important given effects on both initiation and continuation. Implications for theory, research, and antismoking intervention strategies are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

The Relative Influence of Injunctive and Descriptive Social Norms on Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Injection Drug Use Among Homeless Youths: The Impact of Different Referent Groups

The current study assessed the relative influence of both injunctive and descriptive norms in the context of different referent groups (i.e., family, street peers, home-based peers, and staff members) on past 30-day methamphetamine, heroin, and injection drug use behaviors of homeless youth. Cross-sectional data ( N = 911) were collected from three drop-in centers in Los Angeles, California. The study consisted of two parts: a social network interview and a computerized self-administered survey. Multivariate logistic regression models examined the association of objection to drug use from referent groups (injunctive norms; that is, street-based peers, home-based peers, relatives, staff members) and drug use of referent groups (descriptive norms) with youths’ substance use behaviors. Multivariate results indicated that the role of injunctive and descriptive norms varied across the three substance use behaviors and by referent group. Findings indicate the need to carefully consider the diversity of homeless youths’ networks in designing substance use interventions.

ELSA 2016 Cohort: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use and Their Association with Age of Drug Use Onset, Risk Perception, and Social Norms in Argentinean College Freshmen

The transition from high school to college is a high-risk stage for the initiation and escalation of substance use. Substance use and its associated risk factors have been thoroughly described in developed countries, such as the United States, but largely neglected in Argentina, a South American country with patterns of a collectivist culture. The present cross-sectional study describes the occurrence of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use and the association between these behaviors and the age of onset of substance use and cognitive (i.e., risk perception) and social (i.e., prescriptive) variables in a large sample of Argentinean college freshmen (n = 4083, 40.1% men; mean age = 19.39 ± 2.18 years). The response rate across courses was ≥90% and was similarly distributed across sex. Participants completed a survey that measured substance use (alcohol [with a focus on heavy drinking and binge drinking behaviors], tobacco, and marijuana), age of onset of the use of each substance, perceived risk associated with various substance use behaviors, prescriptive norms associated with substance use, and descriptive norms for alcohol use (AU). The results indicated that AU is nearly normative (90.4 and 80.3% with last year and last month use, respectively) in this population, and heavy drinking is highly prevalent (68.6 and 54.9% with heavy episodic and binge drinking, respectively), especially among those with an early drinking onset (97.8 and 93.6% with last year and last month use and 87.8 and 76.3% with heavy episodic and binge drinking, respectively). The last-year occurrence of tobacco and marijuana use was 36 and 28%, respectively. Early substance use was associated with the greater use of that specific substance. The students overestimated their same-sex friend's AU, and women overestimated the level of AU of their best male friend. At the multivariate level, all of the predictors, with the exception of the parents' prescriptive norms, significantly explained the frequency of marijuana and tobacco use and frequency of hazardous drinking. Overall, despite important cultural and contextual differences between Argentina and the United States, our findings suggest that certain vulnerability factors have a similar influence across these cultural contexts.

Depression in the barrio: An analysis of the risk and protective nature of cultural values among Mexican American substance users

Understanding the effect of cultural values on depression and how social networks influence these relationships may be important in the treatment of substance-using, Mexican American populations. Latino cultural values, familismo, personalismo, fatalismo, and machismo, may be associated with depression among Latinos. The current study identified the association of traditional Latino values on depressive symptomatology among a sample of Mexican American heroin injectors. A cross-sectional research design and field-intensive outreach methodology were utilized to recruit 227 Mexican American men. Participants were categorized into depressed and nondepressed groups. Relations among cultural values and depression were examined using logistic regression. Findings indicate that drug-using men with higher familismo and fatalismo scores are protected against depressive symptomatology. Relations between familismo and depression seem to be moderated by having a drug use network. In addition, findings reveal that age is inversely related to depressive symptomatology. Young Mexican American heroin users who do not ascribe to traditional Latino values may be highly associated with depression and therefore more vulnerable to riskier drug use behaviors. Moreover, drug-using social networks may affect the protective nature of certain cultural values. Further research is needed to identify whether culturally tailored treatments can cultivate these values while simultaneously undermining the effect of substance-using social networks in order to reduce depression symptoms among this group of high-risk substance users.

Cigarette Smoking Status Among Latino/Hispanic Middle and High School Students in the United States

Although Latino/Hispanic adolescent substance use is a growing research area in the United States, there is little research examining the prevalence and factors associated with adolescent cigarette smoking status in this population. A nationally representative sample of 5,929 middle and high Latino/Hispanic students in the 2009 US National Youth Tobacco Survey was selected to assess the prevalence and various risk and protective factors associated with cigarette smoking status. Results revealed one in five (20%) were experimental smokers, nearly one in eleven (8.5%) were occasional smokers, and 4% were regular smokers. Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that, controlling for demographics, family members' smoking, refusal to smoke, school absence, and exposure to tobacco marketing were associated with experimental smoking; awareness of harmful effects of secondhand smoking, refusal to smoke, exposure to tobacco advertising, and receptivity to tobacco marketing were associated with occasional smoking; and refusal to smoke, school absence, and receptivity to tobacco marketing were associated with regular smoking. This study highlights the need to integrate various risk and proactive factors associated with different smoking status into practices and policies for Latino/Hispanic adolescent smokers.

Exploring Parental Influence on the Progression of Alcohol Use in Mexican-Heritage Youth: a Latent Transition Analysis

Mexican-heritage youth are members of the fastest growing minority group and are at particular risk for substance use including alcohol consumption. Youth face numerous risk factors including positive descriptions of substance use on media and peer offers that are potentially ameliorated by parental anti-substance use socialization efforts. Guided by primary socialization theory and the theory of planned behavior, the present study posited eight research questions to identify discrete subgroups/patterns of Mexican-heritage youth alcohol use behavior and parental influence on youth outcomes. Longitudinal survey data (n = 1147) from youth in 29 public schools located in Phoenix, Arizona, were collected over 3 years. Latent class and transition analyses identified four discrete subgroups characterized by response patterns of alcohol use behaviors and perceptions in Mexican-heritage youth: (1) non-drinker, (2) potential drinker, (3) experimenter, and (4) regular drinker. Targeted parent-child communication about alcohol and parental monitoring were found to be significant predictors for youth alcohol use. Research implications and future directions are suggested.

A Systematic Review of the Relationship between Familism and Mental Health Outcomes in Latino Population

Background:Familismo or familism is a cultural value frequently seen in Hispanic cultures, in which a higher emphasis is placed on the family unit in terms of respect, support, obligation, and reference. Familism has been implicated as a protective factor against mental health problems and may foster the growth and development of children. This study aims at measuring the size of the relationship between familism and mental health outcomes of depression, suicide, substance abuse, internalizing, and externalizing behaviors.

Methods: Thirty-nine studies were systematically reviewed to assess the relationship between familism and mental health outcomes. Data from the studies were comprised and organized into five categories: depression, suicide, internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and substance use. The Cohen's d of each value (dependent variable in comparison to familism) was calculated. Results were weighted based on sample sizes (n) and total effect sizes were then calculated. It was hypothesized that there would be a large effect size in the relationship between familism and depression, suicide, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms and substance use in Hispanics.

Results: The meta-analysis showed small effect sizes in the relationship between familism and depression, suicide and internalizing behaviors. And no significant effects for substance abuse and externalizing behaviors.

Discussion: The small effects found in this study may be explained by the presence of moderator variables between familism and mental health outcomes (e.g., communication within the family). In addition, variability in the Latino samples and in the measurements used might explain the small and non-significant effects found.

Perceived social support in the lives of gay, bisexual and queer Hispanic college men

In this qualitative study, we examined the sources and nature of social support reported by 24 gay, bisexual and queer Hispanic college men at a small liberal arts college and a large university in the USA. We identified four themes of support across the interviews: Shared experiences (46%), Protector (42%), Support in the air (33%) and Gradual support (29%). Shared experiences included support from those who had previous experience with the lesbian, gay or bisexual community. Protector indicated a type of support that was psychologically, emotionally or physically protective in nature. Participants also reported receiving indirect support such as nonverbal behaviours or indirect gestures of endorsement and caring (support in the air). Participants reported that many of their network members came to support them gradually over time (gradual support). Within each theme we found support from both women and men, who provided support in gender-consistent ways. Our results highlight that despite continued prejudice and discrimination in society, sexual and racial/ethnic minority men have strongholds of support from men and women in their lives that enable them to navigate their development successfully.

Time-varying effects of families and peers on adolescent marijuana use: Person-environment interactions across development

Studies have demonstrated that the effects of two well-known predictors of adolescent substance use, family monitoring and antisocial peers, are not static but change over the course of adolescence. Moreover, these effects may differ for different groups of youth. The current study uses time-varying effect modeling to examine the changes in the association between family monitoring and antisocial peers and marijuana use from ages 11 to 19, and to compare these associations by gender and levels of behavioral disinhibition. Data are drawn from the Raising Healthy Children study, a longitudinal panel of 1,040 youth. The strength of association between family monitoring and antisocial peers and marijuana use was mostly steady over adolescence, and was greater for girls than for boys. Differences in the strength of the association were also evident by levels of behavioral disinhibition: youth with lower levels of disinhibition were more susceptible to the influence of parents and peers. Stronger influence of family monitoring on girls and less disinhibited youth was most evident in middle adolescence, whereas the stronger effect of antisocial peers was significant during middle and late adolescence. Implications for the timing and targeting of marijuana preventive interventions are discussed.

Stress and Alcohol, Cigarette, and Marijuana Use Among Latino Adolescents in Families with Undocumented Immigrants

Families in which one or more members are undocumented immigrants experience unique hardships. Yet, little is known about stress and substance use among adolescents growing up in these families. The present study examined associations between two sources of adolescent stress (i.e., low parental involvement due to contextual constraints and family economic insecurity) and lifetime alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use among adolescents in families with undocumented members. The sample was comprised of 102 adolescents (10-18 years old) and one of his or her parents. Participants responded a survey in English or Spanish. Adolescent lifetime use of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana was 51%, 32.4%, and 37.3%, respectively. Chi-Square analyses found no significant gender differences in lifetime substance use. Logistic regression models showed that adolescent stress due to hindered parental involvement increased the odds of both lifetime cigarette and marijuana use after controlling for gender, age, linguistic acculturation, familism, parental control, and negative peer affiliation. Being a girl increased the odds of lifetime alcohol use. Family economic stress was not associated with lifetime substance use. Results suggest that hindered parental involvement might be a stressor and a risk factor for cigarette and marijuana use among adolescents growing up in families with undocumented members. Because parents in these families are likely to be undocumented, policies that allow immigrants to apply for legal status could improve parents' working conditions and facilitate parental involvement; in turn, such policies could decrease the risk for adolescent substance use among children of Latino immigrants.

Risk and protective factors for adolescent substance use: a comparative study of secondary school students in rural and urban areas of Osun State, Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Substance use is a leading adolescent health problem globally, but little is known regarding associated factors for adolescent substance use in Nigeria. This study compared the prevalence of substance use among in-school adolescents in urban and rural areas of Osun State, Nigeria, and identified risk and protective factors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved 600 randomly selected adolescents (aged 10-19 years) from rural and urban areas of Osun State, Nigeria. Data were collected using the facilitated self-completed questionnaire method. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the association of individual, peer, and parental factors with adolescent substance use. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were obtained.

RESULTS

About two-thirds of respondents had used substances in both rural (65.7%) and urban areas (66.0%) (p=0.93). Logistic analysis showed private school attendance as a risk factor for substance use (OR=2.32, 95% CI=1.20-4.46) and adolescent disapproval of adult substance use as a protective factor (OR=0.47, 95% CI=0.27-0.82) in rural areas. For urban areas, having friends who use substances (OR=4.04, 95% CI=1.39-11.6) and a mother having had tertiary education (OR=3.34, 95% CI=1.06-10.4) were risk factors while parental disapproval of substance use (OR=0.50, 95% CI=0.28-0.90) was a protective factor.

CONCLUSION

Lifetime prevalence of substances is high among in-school adolescents in Osun State. The risk and protective factors for adolescent substance use somewhat differ for rural and urban areas, and these have implications for designing effective intervention strategies.

Preventing Drug Abuse Among Hispanic Adolescents: Developing a Responsive Intervention Approach

Intervention research is essential to help Hispanic American adolescents avoid drug use. This article describes an intervention research program aimed at preventing drug use among these youths. Grounded in salient epidemiological data, the program is informed by bicultural competence, social learning, and motivational interviewing theories. The program, called Vamos, is aimed at the risk and protective factors as well as the cultural prerogatives that demark the adolescent years of Hispanic American youths. Innovative in its approach, the program is delivered through a smartphone application (app). By interacting with engaging content presented via the app, youths can acquire the cognitive-behavioral skills necessary to avoid risky situations, urges, and pressures associated with early drug use. The intervention development process is presented in detail, and an evaluation plan to determine the program's efficacy is outlined. Lessons for practice and intervention programming are discussed.

Strategies employed by sexual minority adolescents to cope with minority stress

Sexual minority adolescents (SMA) experience disparities in health and behavioral health outcomes, including high rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, substance use, HIV risk behavior, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. These outcomes are commonly attributed to minority stress. Stress experiences are different for SMA than their adult counterparts. For example, disclosing their sexual orientation may be more likely to result in homelessness because these youth more often live with parents or other family members. Although stress in this population has been explored in previous research, very little is known about how SMA cope. Relying upon an adolescent coping model, this study examined the coping strategies, responses, and resources of SMA related to stress. Forty-eight racially and ethnically diverse SMA (age 14-19) were recruited for 90-minute tape-recorded interviews. The semi-structured interviews were guided by a life history calendar. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and entered into QSR NVivo. All transcripts were coded by two members of the research team and went through a consensus process. Forty-three unique coping statements emerged that fit with the Compas model of adolescent coping. SMA cope with minority stress in similar ways to heterosexual youth coping with general stress, but findings suggest that SMA may also use different kinds of coping resources. Although further research is needed, the present study identified a variety of ways SMA cope with stress and can inform future research on the development interventions.

The relationship between ethnic-racial socialization and adolescent substance use: An examination of social learning as a causal mechanism

The presence of parental socialization messages relevant to a child's race/ethnicity--ethnic-racial socialization (ERS)--have been found to be an important predictor of developmental outcomes. However, scholars have recently called for greater theoretical clarification, citing the need for better understanding of how the effects of ethnic-racial socialization messages differ by dimension and what causal mechanisms underlie this relationship. Using survey data from 269 Southern California high school students, this study tested a theoretical model examining how 3 dimensions of ERS differentially relate to adolescent substance use, and how much these links are mediated by peer substance use social learning (Akers, 2009). Using structural equation modeling, we cross-sectionally and longitudinally tested the pathways between ERS and peer substance use social learning and between peer social learning and substance use. We found that 2 of the 3 dimensions of ERS were related to substance use. Cultural socialization was associated with lower substance use, and promotion of mistrust was associated with greater substance use. Both effects were indirect and mediated by peer substance use social learning. These results were replicated in a separate analysis of the largest ethnic subsample (Latinos). Ethnic-racial socialization messages that stress pride in one's ethnic group and the development of one's ethnic identity (cultural socialization) may be a protective factor against future substance use by inhibiting the association with substance-using peers, whereas messages that stress distrust of other ethnic groups (promotion of mistrust) may be a risk factor against future substance use by promoting the association with substance-using peers.