Risk Factors for Serious Alcohol and Drug Use: the Role of Psychosocial Variables in Predicting the Frequency of Substance Use Among Adolescents

Reviews of the psychosocial risk factors of adolescent alcohol and drug use suggest that the highest risks can be summarized as: 1) psychological functioning, 2) family environment, 3) peer relationships, and 4) stressful life events. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationships among the most common risk factors among a clinical sample (n = 214) and to determine the collective importance of these risk factors on problems with substance use. Collectively, these risk factors were most effective in explaining alcohol use and binge drinking and marijuana use, which were the most frequent types of substance use in this sample. Antisocial peers and delinquent behavior were the strongest predictors of substance use. Implications are that treatment programs target different psychosocial factors depending on the substance being used, and put extra effort on understanding and altering the relationship between an adolescent's choice of peers and their own attitudes toward delinquency and drug use.