Parent involvement, sibling companionship, and adolescent substance use: A longitudinal, genetically informed design.

Abstract

A large literature shows that parent and sibling relationship factors are associated with an increased likelihood of adolescent substance use. Less is known about the etiology of these associations. Using a genetically-informed sibling design, we examined the prospective associations between parent involvement, sibling companionship, and adolescent substance use at two points in mid- and late-adolescence. Adolescents were adopted (n = 568) or the biological offspring of both parents (n = 412). Cross-lagged panel results showed that higher levels of parent involvement in early adolescence were associated with lower levels of substance use later in adolescence. Results did not significantly differ across adoption status, suggesting this association cannot be due to passive gene-environment correlation. Adolescent substance use at Time 1 was not significantly associated with parent involvement at Time 2, suggesting this association does not appear to be solely due to evocative (i.e. “child-driven”) effects either. Together, results support a protective influence of parent involvement on subsequent adolescent substance use that is environmental in nature. The cross-paths between sibling companionship and adolescent substance use were significant and negative in direction (i.e., protective) for sisters, but positive for brothers (in line with a social contagion hypothesis). These effects were consistent across genetically related and unrelated pairs, and thus appear to be environmentally mediated. For mixed gender siblings, results were consistent with environmentally-driven, protective influence hypothesis for genetically unrelated pairs, but in line with a genetically influenced, social contagion hypothesis for genetically related pairs. Implications are discussed.

Paternal deprivation affects social behaviors and neurochemical systems in the offspring of socially monogamous prairie voles

“…It has been well documented that early life experience, including experience with parents, can shape adult cognitive and behavioral functions (Felitti et al, 1998; Repetti et al, 2002; Nishi et al, 2014; Sripada et al, 2014; Jensen et al, 2015; Samek et al, 2015; Yam et al, 2015). In humans, father presence during early development is associated with decreased risk for various psychopathologies and increased well-being of the children (Sarkadi et al, 2008; McLanahan et al, 2013; Tikotzky et al, 2015), whereas father absence can lead to negative outcomes including the development of depressive symptoms and externalizing behaviors (Phares and Compas, 1992; Culpin et al, 2013; McLanahan et al, 2013).…”

“…Variations in parental environment during development can affect adult phenotype in profound ways (Heim et al, 2002; Repetti et al, 2002; O’Donnell et al, 2014; Samek et al, 2015). In humans, for example, childhood family environments characterized by high conflict and low quality attachments are associated with vulnerability to social and emotional processing deficits (Repetti et al, 2002) as well as an increase in the risk for developing psychopathology in adulthood (Bifulco et al, 1991; Brown and Anderson, 1991; Felitti et al, 1998; Heim et al, 2002; Yam et al, 2015).…”

Neural Correlates of Social Influence on Risk Taking and Substance Use in Adolescents

“…For example, adolescents with strong familial values are less likely to use substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana [49]. In addition to family values, parental involvement, sibling companionship, as well as overall low levels of family conflict and high family cohesion, have the potential to buffer adolescents from substance use [50–51]. Thus, positive family environments can protect adolescents against the initiation and maintenance of substance use.…”

Adolescent predictors of alcohol use in adulthood: A 22-year longitudinal study

“…7 More recently, a study has shown that parental involvement in a child’s life during early adolescence reduces the chances of substance use later on in adolescence. 8 …”