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The role of life events, family support, and competence in adolescent substance use: A test of vulnerability and protective factors
Author(s) -
Wills Thomas Ashby,
Vaccaro Donato,
McNamara Grace
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/bf00937914
Subject(s) - psychology , health psychology , affect (linguistics) , vulnerability (computing) , developmental psychology , competence (human resources) , substance use , clinical psychology , public health , social psychology , medicine , nursing , computer security , communication , computer science
Tested propositions from a model of vulnerability and protective factors with a multiethnic sample of 1,289 urban adolescents, aged 11-13 years. The criterion variable was a composite score for cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use. Multiple regression analyses indicated that vulnerability factors (negative life events, negative affect) were related to a higher level of substance use, and protective factors (parent emotional and instrumental support, academic and adult competence, positive affect) were related to a lower level of substance use; peer competence was positively related to substance use in a multivariate model. There was a significant overall interaction of Vulnerability x Protective Factors, consistent with a stress-buffering effect. Individual interactions for Life Events x Family Support, Life Events x Competence, and Negative x Positive Affect also were consistent with buffering effects. Implications for theories of substance use and primary prevention are discussed.