A protective role of internalizing symptoms in adolescent substance use: social competence and harm avoidance as potential mediators

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

Psychological symptoms, and externalizing problems (e.g., conduct and antisocial behaviors) in particular, are generally considered to be risk factors for substance use. There is some evidence, however, that internalizing symptoms may protect from adolescent substance use after controlling for co-occurring externalizing symptoms (e.g., Colder et al., 2018; Rieselbach et al., 2020). The present study explores two potential mediators of the protective influence of internalizing symptoms on substance use: social competence and harm avoidance. Internalizing symptoms may act as both a risk factor for and a consequence of poor social competence (Hawker & Boulton, 2000, Matthews et al., 2015). Because adolescent substance use typically occurs in the context of peers (Hussong, 2002), we hypothesize that aspects of social competence relating to popularity will be associated with increased substance use, as more socially connected teens may simply have more opportunities to access substances. If internalizing symptoms are associated with reduced popularity with peers, adolescents with anxiety and/or depression symptoms may simply lack connections through which to obtain substances. Harm avoidance, a personality trait characterized by a proneness to avoid punishment or distress (Cloninger, 1987), is positively correlated with anxiety and depression symptoms and also associated with reduced frequency of substance use. If internalizing symptoms are positively linked to harm avoidance, depressed or anxious adolescents may be actively avoiding potential risks associated with substance use.
The present study used data collected in the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Study (LTS) and Colorado Adoption Project (CAP). The current sample was comprised of 854 LTS participants (430 twin girls and 424 twin boys) and 736 CAP participants (170 adopted girls, 176 adopted boys, 185 non-adopted girls, and 205 non-adopted boys). We examined participants with assessments on internalizing and externalizing, social competence, and harm avoidance between the ages of 7 and 17. Additionally, participants’ substance use was assessed at age 17, and our analyses included a latent substance use factor with loadings on alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, and other illicit drug use.
Latent growth curve analyses will be conducted to examine changes in internalizing behavior, externalizing behavior, and social competence over time. We will examine whether harm avoidance and initial levels (intercepts) and change (slopes) in internalizing behavior, externalizing behavior, and social competence predict adolescent substance use. We will test models examining social competence and harm avoidance as mediators of the association between internalizing and substance use, controlling for externalizing. Lastly, we will take advantage of this genetically informative sample by exploring the relative role of common genetic and environmental influences on the shared variance between internalizing, social competence/harm avoidance, and substance use, controlling for externalizing.
Data collection for this project has been completed and we aim to complete in the next month.

Authors

• Maya Rieselbach, University of Colorado Boulder
  Presenting Author

• Shelley A Gresko, University of Colorado Boulder
  Non-Presenting Author

• Robin Corley, University of Colorado, Boulder
  Non-Presenting Author

• John Hewitt, University of Colorado, Boulder
  Non-Presenting Author

• Soo Rhee, University of Colorado Boulder
  Non-Presenting Author