Do Physical Abuse, Depression, and Parental Substance Use Influence Patterns of Substance Use Among Child Welfare Involved Youth? Substance Use Misuse

Abstract

To date studies have not explored patterns of substance use exclusively among youth in the child welfare system. Consequently, little is known about polysubstance use among child welfare-involved youth. This study aimed to explore whether physical abuse, parental substance use, depression, and demographic characteristics predict distinct patterns of substance use among child welfare-involved youth using latent class analysis (LCA). The sample included 822 11–17 year olds who participated in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW II) study between March 2008 and September 2009. We found the following three classes: (1) polysubstance use, (2) alcohol and marijuana use, and (3) low use. Older youth and youth who experienced physical abuse were at greater risk of being in the polysubstance use class, while living with a biological parent reduced the likelihood of polysubstance use class membership. Youth in the alcohol and marijuana use class were more likely to be older and depressed. Results from this study illuminate important targets for interventions.

Keywords :

• Substance use
• latent class analysis
• depression
• physical abuse
• parental substance abuse
• child maltreatment

THE AUTHORS

Rachel E. Smith, M.S.W., graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with her Masters of Social Work and Certificate in Substance Abuse Studies. Her primary research interests include substance abuse, co-occurring mental health disorders, trauma, and the intersection of each of these issues.

Susan M. Snyder, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Snyder's work focuses on problem behavior, including substance use and illegal behaviors among system-involved youth and emerging adults. Her work contributes to the understanding of the correlates associated with typologies of co-occurring problem behaviors.

GLOSSARY

• Latent class analysis (LCA): LCA is a person-centered analytic approach that identifies homogenous subgroups of individuals drawn from a larger heterogeneous sample or population, at a single point in time.