Abstract
Background: A deficit in either socio-cognitive or socio-affective components of empathy is associated with the severity of substance use by late adolescence. What remains unknown is how longitudinal changes in these components of empathy predict adolescent substance using behavior. Methods: This secondary data analysis used data that followed adolescents in outpatient treatment for substance use (n = 826) during treatment and at 6 months post-treatment. To examine cross-lagged effects of empathy on substance use over time, we used a latent basis growth curve model. Results: Increases in affective empathy predicted reduced substance use over time. However, cognitive empathy did not predict substance use after controlling for other covariates. Conclusions: Lower levels of affective empathy may indicate a developmental vulnerability for substance using behavior. Modifying affective empathy may be a viable treatment target for reducing adolescent substance use.
Acknowledgements
Authors would like to acknowledge Sarah Konrath PhD. for the help with initial conceptualization of this project.
Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in ICPSR at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR03404.v3.
Declaration of interest
All authors report there are no financial conflicts of interest to disclose.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Drew E. Winters
Drew E. Winters conceptualized and designed research, conducted preliminary analysis, interpreted the analysis and wrote the article.
Wei Wu
Wei Wu conceptualized the statistical approach and conducted the statistical analysis.
Sadaaki Fukui
Sadaaki Fukui consulted on design of research, reviewed previous versions, and aided with revisions of the introduction and discussion sections of the article.