Peer Victimization and Substance Use: Understanding the Indirect Effect of Depressive Symptomatology Across Gender

Overview

Journal Addict Behav

Specialties Psychiatry
Social Sciences

Date 2018 Apr 27

PMID 29698871

Citations 5

Authors

Tamika C B Zapolski

Alia T Rowe

Sycarah Fisher

Devon J Hensel

Jessica Barnes-Najor

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Peer victimization in school is common, with emerging literature suggesting that it may also increase risk for substance abuse. Yet, little is known about the underlying mechanisms within this risk pathway. The objective of this study is to use a prospective 3-wave design to examine the mediating role of depressive symptomatology on the relationship between peer victimization and substance use, as well as examine if the pathway varies based on gender.

Method: 801 youth between 6th and 12th grade completed surveys across three years, which included measures on school peer victimization, depression symptomatology and substance use. Models tested the mediational pathway between victimization, depressive symptoms, and substance use. Models were stratified by gender.

Results: Controlling for grade and the effect of each variable across waves, a significant indirect effect of peer victimization on substance use through depressive symptoms was found for females, with a non-significant indirect effect for males.

Conclusion: Results suggest that female youth who are victimized by peers engage in substance use behaviors, at least in part, due to increases in depressive symptoms. Given its effect on depression, female victims may therefore benefit from coping skills training that targets emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills in order to combat increased risk for substance use behaviors as a coping response to their victimization. Further research is warranted to better understand the risk pathway for male youth who also experience peer victimization.

Citing Articles

Youth Aggression and Peer Victimization as Predictors of Adolescent Alcohol and Marijuana Use: A Longitudinal Analysis of Youth with Aggressive Behavior Problems.

Hakim E, McDonald K, Lochman J, Powell N, Witte T, Vernberg E Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2024; 52(6):877-889.

PMID: 38252334 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01166-0.

Targets for intervention to prevent substance use in young people exposed to childhood adversity: A systematic review.

Grummitt L, Kelly E, Barrett E, Keyes K, Newton N PLoS One. 2021; 16(6):e0252815.

PMID: 34097711 PMC: 8183991. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252815.

Peer Victimization Exposure and Subsequent Substance Use in Early Adolescence: The Role of Sleep Problems.

Kaynak O, Whipple C, Kliewer W, Lepore S J Youth Adolesc. 2021; 50(6):1254-1267.

PMID: 33638802 PMC: 9069559. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01410-6.

The Impact of Emotional Symptoms and Family Support on the Association Between Homophobic Bullying and Sedative/Hypnotic Use among Gay and Bisexual Men in Taiwan: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Li D, Chang Y, Chen Y, Yen C Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020; 17(11).

PMID: 32485987 PMC: 7311954. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17113870.

Peer Victimization, Mood Symptoms, and Alcohol Use: Examining Effects among Diverse High School Youth.

Rowe A, Zapolski T, Hensel D, Fisher S, Barnes-Najor J J Youth Adolesc. 2019; 48(5):924-934.

PMID: 30617742 PMC: 6508992. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-018-0979-2.

References

Wang J, Iannotti R, Nansel T . School bullying among adolescents in the United States: physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. J Adolesc Health. 2009; 45(4):368-75. PMC: 2751860. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.03.021. View

Quinn C, Fitzpatrick S, Bussey K, Hides L, Chan G . Associations between the group processes of bullying and adolescent substance use. Addict Behav. 2016; 62:6-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.06.007. View

McKowen J, Tompson M, Brown T, Asarnow J . Longitudinal associations between depression and problematic substance use in the Youth Partners in Care study. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2013; 42(5):669-80. PMC: 3759572. DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2012.759226. View

Radloff L . The use of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in adolescents and young adults. J Youth Adolesc. 2013; 20(2):149-66. DOI: 10.1007/BF01537606. View

Schuler M, Vasilenko S, Lanza S . Age-varying associations between substance use behaviors and depressive symptoms during adolescence and young adulthood. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015; 157:75-82. PMC: 4663168. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.10.005. View

Hamilton J, Kleiman E, Rubenstein L, Stange J, Flynn M, Abramson L . Deficits in Emotional Clarity and Vulnerability to Peer Victimization and Internalizing Symptoms Among Early Adolescents. J Youth Adolesc. 2015; 45(1):183-94. PMC: 4537405. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-015-0260-x. View

Brook J, Cohen P, Brook D . Longitudinal study of co-occurring psychiatric disorders and substance use. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1998; 37(3):322-30. DOI: 10.1097/00004583-199803000-00018. View

Schwinn T, Schinke S, Trent D . Substance use among late adolescent urban youths: mental health and gender influences. Addict Behav. 2009; 35(1):30-4. PMC: 2763993. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.08.005. View

Luk J, Wang J, Simons-Morton B . Bullying victimization and substance use among U.S. adolescents: mediation by depression. Prev Sci. 2010; 11(4):355-9. PMC: 2975801. DOI: 10.1007/s11121-010-0179-0. View

10.

Garber J, Clarke G, Weersing V, Beardslee W, Brent D, Gladstone T . Prevention of depression in at-risk adolescents: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2009; 301(21):2215-24. PMC: 2737625. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2009.788. View

11.

Krug E, Mercy J, Dahlberg L, Zwi A . The world report on violence and health. Lancet. 2002; 360(9339):1083-8. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11133-0. View

12.

Klomek A, Marrocco F, Kleinman M, Schonfeld I, Gould M . Peer victimization, depression, and suicidiality in adolescents. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2008; 38(2):166-80. DOI: 10.1521/suli.2008.38.2.166. View

13.

Wilkinson A, Halpern C, Herring A . Directions of the relationship between substance use and depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood. Addict Behav. 2016; 60:64-70. PMC: 4884464. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.03.036. View

14.

Hunter S, Boyle J, Warden D . Perceptions and correlates of peer-victimization and bullying. Br J Educ Psychol. 2007; 77(Pt 4):797-810. DOI: 10.1348/000709906X171046. View

15.

Khantzian E . The self-medication hypothesis of substance use disorders: a reconsideration and recent applications. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 1997; 4(5):231-44. DOI: 10.3109/10673229709030550. View

16.

McDougall P, Vaillancourt T . Long-term adult outcomes of peer victimization in childhood and adolescence: Pathways to adjustment and maladjustment. Am Psychol. 2015; 70(4):300-10. DOI: 10.1037/a0039174. View

17.

Ringwalt C, Shamblen S . Is there an association between adolescent bullying victimization and substance abuse?. J Drug Educ. 2015; 42(4):447-67. DOI: 10.2190/DE.42.4.e. View

18.

Sullivan T, Farrell A, Kliewer W . Peer victimization in early adolescence: association between physical and relational victimization and drug use, aggression, and delinquent behaviors among urban middle school students. Dev Psychopathol. 2006; 18(1):119-37. DOI: 10.1017/S095457940606007X. View

19.

Edwards A, Joinson C, Dick D, Kendler K, Macleod J, Munafo M . The association between depressive symptoms from early to late adolescence and later use and harmful use of alcohol. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014; 23(12):1219-30. PMC: 4246124. DOI: 10.1007/s00787-014-0600-5. View

20.

Nylund K, Bellmore A, Nishina A, Graham S . Subtypes, severity, and structural stability of peer victimization: what does latent class analysis say?. Child Dev. 2007; 78(6):1706-22. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01097.x. View