Science
Science
Science
a
Department of Individual & Family Studies, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Medical School, Farmington, Connecticut
Manuscript received June 1, 2007; manuscript accepted August 24, 2007
Abstract
This longitudinal study followed 200 adolescents into early adulthood to explore the potential
mediating roles that hostility, sadness, conduct problems, and risk-taking play in the relationship
between paternal alcoholism and substance abuse. Results indicated that paternal alcoholism
predicted hostility; in turn, hostility predicted risk taking, which predicted substance abuse. 2008
Society for Adolescent Medicine. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Adolescence; Substance abuse; Parental alcoholism/alcohol dependence; Children of alcoholic parents; Negative
affect; Risk taking; Conduct disorder
1054-139X/08/$ see front matter 2008 Society for Adolescent Medicine. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.08.025
C. McCauley Ohannessian and V.M. Hesselbrock / Journal of Adolescent Health 42 (2008) 198 200
199
200
C. McCauley Ohannessian and V.M. Hesselbrock / Journal of Adolescent Health 42 (2008) 198 200
Table 1
Means and standard deviations of study variables by COA status
Scale
Hostility*
Sadness
Conduct problems
Risk taking
MAST*
Drinking to get drunk/high**
COAs
Non-COAs
Mean
SD
Mean
SD
13.87
11.10
19.39
14.84
3.52
3.26
4.50
3.96
8.81
8.85
6.64
1.79
12.53
11.05
17.53
12.33
1.91
2.54
3.87
4.29
7.53
8.33
3.65
1.47
Note: n 200.
Discussion
In this study, COAs had higher levels of hostility than
non-COAs (Table 1). In addition, consistent with the literature [9,10], hostility significantly predicted risk taking;
which in turn, significantly predicted substance abuse. Importantly, this study extended the literature by simultaneously examining these indirect relations over time as
adolescents transitioned into early adulthood, a critical period for the development of substance abuse problems.
In contrast to the results for hostility, sadness did not
play a significant role. This finding conflicts with the literature; however, it should be noted that many depression
measures include items relating to aspects of depression
other than sadness (e.g., irritability). Therefore, it may be
that sadness alone is not related to substance abuse.
Although the present investigation extends the current
literature, caveats should be noted. As noted, the sample
assessed was a high-risk sample. Caution should be used
when generalizing the results to community samples. Mothers also did not participate in the study. Therefore, possible