African American Adolescent Substance Use: The Roles of Racial Discrimination and Peer Pressure

Overview

Journal Addict Behav

Specialties Psychiatry
Social Sciences

Date 2019 Oct 24

PMID 31645003

Citations 19

Authors

Elizabeth Jelsma

Fatima Varner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol is one of the strongest predictors of adolescent substance use. In addition to this normative adolescent stressor, African American adolescents often also face race-related stress in the form of racial discrimination, which has been linked to maladaptive coping responses such as substance use. The interaction of these stressors may help explain substance using behaviors for African American adolescents. The present study explored the relationship between eighth-grade school-based racial discrimination experiences, peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol, and gender to predict 11th-grade marijuana and alcohol use (N = 610; 49% female). Logistic regression analyses indicated teacher- and peer-perpetrated racial discrimination experiences were related to higher alcohol use. Eighth-grade peer pressure to use drugs moderated the relations between teacher- and peer-perpetrated racial discrimination and 11th-grade marijuana use. Overall, results indicate that school-based racial discrimination increases risk for adolescent substance use, and peer pressure moderates this relation for multiple types of racial discrimination. No moderation by gender was found. The importance of considering race-related stress in conjunction with more general adolescent stress to understand African American adolescent substance use is discussed.

Citing Articles

Mechanism that links perceived racism and discrimination and youth cannabis use, a structural equation modeling approach.

Dai H, Young B, Beseler C Addict Behav Rep. 2025; 21:100590.

PMID: 40041242 PMC: 11879662. DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2025.100590.

Ebrahimi C, Song H, Machado M, Segura P, Espinosa A, Polanco-Roman L Soc Sci Med. 2024; 362:117434.

PMID: 39461166 PMC: 11585449. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117434.

Psychosocial Factors and Psychological Adjustment Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Comparative Analysis of Occasional Drug Craving and Non-Craving.

Nida A, Haider A, Zhang X Psychiatry Investig. 2024; 21(9):947-957.

PMID: 39317241 PMC: 11421920. DOI: 10.30773/pi.2024.0124.

Racial Differences in Biopsychosocial Pathways to Tobacco and Marijuana Use Among Youth.

Assari S J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024; .

PMID: 38807026 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-024-02035-8.

Increasing lifetime and past 30-day marijuana use among middle school students regardless of recreational marijuana sales.

Pearson J, Powers M, Drake C, Yang Y, FitzGerald C, Green D Addict Behav. 2024; 153:107999.

PMID: 38452424 PMC: 10981209. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.107999.

References

Chen P, Jacobson K . Developmental trajectories of substance use from early adolescence to young adulthood: gender and racial/ethnic differences. J Adolesc Health. 2012; 50(2):154-63. PMC: 3264901. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.05.013. View

Waters S, Cross D, Shaw T . Does the nature of schools matter? An exploration of selected school ecology factors on adolescent perceptions of school connectedness. Br J Educ Psychol. 2010; 80(Pt 3):381-402. DOI: 10.1348/000709909X484479. View

Brody G, Kogan S, Chen Y . Perceived discrimination and longitudinal increases in adolescent substance use: gender differences and mediational pathways. Am J Public Health. 2012; 102(5):1006-11. PMC: 3325367. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300588. View

Botvin G, Griffin K . School-based programmes to prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2007; 19(6):607-15. DOI: 10.1080/09540260701797753. View

Lorenzo-Blanco E, Unger J, Ritt-Olson A, Soto D, Baezconde-Garbanati L . Acculturation, gender, depression, and cigarette smoking among U.S. Hispanic youth: the mediating role of perceived discrimination. J Youth Adolesc. 2011; 40(11):1519-33. PMC: 3753367. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-011-9633-y. View

Benner A . The Toll of Racial/Ethnic Discrimination on Adolescents' Adjustment. Child Dev Perspect. 2024; 11(4):251-256. PMC: 11139138. DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12241. View

Oberle E, Schonert-Reichl K, Zumbo B . Life satisfaction in early adolescence: personal, neighborhood, school, family, and peer influences. J Youth Adolesc. 2010; 40(7):889-901. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-010-9599-1. View

Chassin L, Pitts S, Prost J . Binge drinking trajectories from adolescence to emerging adulthood in a high-risk sample: predictors and substance abuse outcomes. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2002; 70(1):67-78. View

Chavous T, Rivas-Drake D, Smalls C, Griffin T, Cogburn C . Gender matters, too: the influences of school racial discrimination and racial identity on academic engagement outcomes among African American adolescents. Dev Psychol. 2008; 44(3):637-54. DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.44.3.637. View

10.

Hurd N, Varner F, Caldwell C, Zimmerman M . Does perceived racial discrimination predict changes in psychological distress and substance use over time? An examination among Black emerging adults. Dev Psychol. 2014; 50(7):1910-8. PMC: 4275545. DOI: 10.1037/a0036438. View

11.

Fite P, Colder C, Lochman J, Wells K . Pathways from proactive and reactive aggression to substance use. Psychol Addict Behav. 2007; 21(3):355-64. DOI: 10.1037/0893-164X.21.3.355. View

12.

Terrell F, Miller A, Foster K, Watkins Jr C . Racial discrimination-induced anger and alcohol use among black adolescents. Adolescence. 2007; 41(163):485-92. View

13.

Petraitis J, Flay B, Miller T . Reviewing theories of adolescent substance use: organizing pieces in the puzzle. Psychol Bull. 1995; 117(1):67-86. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.117.1.67. View

14.

Galliher R, Jones M, Dahl A . Concurrent and longitudinal effects of ethnic identity and experiences of discrimination on psychosocial adjustment of Navajo adolescents. Dev Psychol. 2010; 47(2):509-26. DOI: 10.1037/a0021061. View

15.

Hanna E, Yi H, Dufour M, Whitmore C . The relationship of early-onset regular smoking to alcohol use, depression, illicit drug use, and other risky behaviors during early adolescence: results from the youth supplement to the third national health and nutrition examination survey. J Subst Abuse. 2001; 13(3):265-82. DOI: 10.1016/s0899-3289(01)00077-3. View

16.

Farrell A, Kung E, White K, Valois R . The structure of self-reported aggression, drug use, and delinquent behaviors during early adolescence. J Clin Child Psychol. 2000; 29(2):282-92. DOI: 10.1207/S15374424jccp2902_13. View

17.

Gibbons F, Etcheverry P, Stock M, Gerrard M, Weng C, Kiviniemi M . Exploring the link between racial discrimination and substance use: what mediates? What buffers?. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2010; 99(5):785-801. PMC: 3314492. DOI: 10.1037/a0019880. View

18.

Szalacha L, Erkut S, Garcia Coll C, Alarcon O, Fields J, Ceder I . Discrimination and Puerto Rican children's and adolescents' mental health. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol. 2003; 9(2):141-55. DOI: 10.1037/1099-9809.9.2.141. View

19.

Musher-Eizenman D, Holub S, Arnett M . Attitude and peer influences on adolescent substance use: the moderating effect of age, sex, and substance. J Drug Educ. 2003; 33(1):1-23. DOI: 10.2190/YED0-BQA8-5RVX-95JB. View

20.

Kulis S, Marsiglia F, Nieri T . Perceived ethnic discrimination versus acculturation stress: influences on substance use among Latino youth in the Southwest. J Health Soc Behav. 2010; 50(4):443-59. PMC: 2821707. DOI: 10.1177/002214650905000405. View