Contributions of positive and negative affect to adolescent substance use: Test of a bidimensional model in a longitudinal study.

Abstract

Contributions of bidimensional affect measures to adolescent substance (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) use were measured. Participants (baseline N = 1,702) were surveyed at age 12.4 years and followed longitudinally through age 15.4 years. Multiple regression indicated negative affect related to higher levels of substance use and positive affect related to lower levels of substance use. Buffer interactions indicated that the relationship of negative affect to substance use was reduced among persons with higher positive affect. Clustering analyses indicated 5 different patterns of affect over time; affect patterns were systematically related to change in substance use over time. Structural modeling analysis indicated that relationships of affect to substance use were mediated through coping motives. The findings are discussed with respect to resiliency research and affect-regulation models of substance use.The role of affective states has been a topic of (Pandina, Johnson, & Labouvie, 1992; Wills & continuing interest in research on substance use Shiffman, 1985). Stress and depression have been related to several types of substance use among adults (e.g.,

Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) expectancies, mood, and affect intensity among clients in substance disorder treatment facilities

“…One possibility is that low NMR may promote substance abuse as a means of coping with affective distress (Catanzaro & Laurent, 2004). Reduction of negative affect is a major reason cited for using alcohol and drugs (Johnston & O'Malley, 1986;Newcomb et al, 1988) and high negative affect is related to consuming greater amounts of drugs and alcohol (Colder & Chassin, 1993;Krueger et al, 1996;Wills et al, 1999). Much previous research has also found significantly higher NMR Expectancies 11 levels of stress (e.g., Blume, Marlatt & Schmaling, 2000;Gorman, 1988;Horowitz & Davies, 1994;Shoal & Giancola, 2001), anxiety disorders (e.g., Compton et al, 2000;Schuckit et al, 1997;Weiss & Rosenberg, 1985) and mood disorders (Raimo & Schuckit, 1998;Swendsen & Merikangas, 2000;Tomasson & Vaglum, 1995) among those with substance problems compared to non-addict control samples.…”

A Finer Examination of the Role That Negative Affect Plays in the Relationship Between Paternal Alcoholism and the Onset of Alcohol and Marijuana Use

“…In addition, research examining individuals who have a parent with a substance-use disorder has found that they exhibit higher levels of negative affect in comparison with those that do not have a parent with a substance-use disorder (Chassin and Ritter, 2001;Clark et al, 1999;Shoal and Giancola, 2001). Negative affect also has been linked to substance use during adolescence (Desrichard and Denarie, 2005;Hussong and Hicks, 2003;Shoal and Giancola, 2001;Wills et al, 1999).…”

Interplay of Psychosocial Factors and the Long-Term Course of Adolescents with a Substance Use Disorder

“…Among adolescents with SUD, elevated rates of negative affect disorders and related symptoms have been reported, with higher rates among females than among male SUD adolescents (40). Also, depressed mood has been shown to positively predict drug use (19,41,42) as well as drug use problems (43,44) among teenagers. These findings are consistent with both the self-medication hypothesis (45,46), which advances that individuals use substances to alleviate symptoms of dysphoria and or anxiety, and with developmental theories suggesting that negative affect provides another important etiologic pathway leading to the development of SUDs (32,14).…”