Adolescent Depression and Substance Use: the Protective Role of Prosocial Peer Behavior

Overview

Journal J Abnorm Child Psychol

Publisher Springer

Date 2018 Dec 15

PMID 30547314

Citations 12

Authors

Michael Mason

Jeremy Mennis

Michael Russell

Mathew Moore

Aaron Brown

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Adolescents with depression disorders have higher rates of substance use. In order to advance contextually relevant mental health interventions, basic research is needed to test social ecological mechanisms hypothesized to influence adolescent depression and substance use. Accordingly, we conducted growth curve modeling with a sample of 248 urban adolescents to determine if depression's effect on substance use was dependent upon peer network health (sum of peer risk and protective behaviors) and activity space risk (likelihood of high-risk behaviors at routine locations). Results showed that peer network health moderated the effects of depression on substance use, but this effect was not altered by activity space risk. These findings suggest the importance of peer network health relative to depression and substance use, particularly for young adolescents.

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