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Rule breaking mediates the developmental association between GABRA 2 and adolescent substance abuse
Author(s) -
Trucco Elisa M.,
Villafuerte Sandra,
Heitzeg Mary M.,
Burmeister Margit,
Zucker Robert A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/jcpp.12244
Subject(s) - psychology , substance abuse , alcohol abuse , path analysis (statistics) , alcohol , psychiatry , clinical psychology , chemistry , biochemistry , statistics , mathematics
Background This study's primary aim was to examine age‐specific associations between GABRA 2 , rule breaking, problematic alcohol use, and substance abuse symptomatology. The secondary aim was to examine the extent to which rule breaking mediates the GABRA 2‐ substance abuse relationship. Methods A sample ( n = 518) of primarily male (70.9%) and White (88.8%) adolescents from the Michigan Longitudinal Study was assessed from ages 11–18. Age‐specific effects of GABRA 2 on rule breaking, problematic alcohol use, and substance abuse symptomatology were examined using nested path models. The role of rule breaking as a mediator in the association between GABRA 2 and substance abuse outcomes was tested using prospective cross‐lagged path models. Results GABRA 2 is significantly ( p < 0.05) associated with rule breaking in mid‐ to late‐adolescence, but not substance abuse symptomatology across adolescence. GABRA 2 effects on problematic alcohol use and substance abuse symptomatology operate largely (45.3% and 71.1%, respectively, p < 0.05) via rule breaking in midadolescence. Conclusions GABRA 2 represents an early risk factor for an externalizing pathway to the development of problematic alcohol and drug use.