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Abstract
ABSTRACT. Background: The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship between anxiety symptomatology and substance use (alcohol use and drug use) during adolescence, systematically by gender and race/ethnicity. Methods: Self-report surveys were administered to 905 15–17-year-old adolescents (54% girls) in the spring of 2007. Results: Results from multiple group analyses indicated that the relationship between anxiety and substance use differs by gender and race/ethnicity. For Caucasian and African American boys, higher levels of social anxiety and separation anxiety were related to less substance use. In contrast, higher levels of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder were associated with more substance use for African American boys. The pattern was much less striking for girls. For Caucasian girls, higher levels of significant school avoidance were linked to more substance use, and consistent with the results for boys, higher levels of separation anxiety were associated with less substance use. None of the anxiety disorders were related to substance use for African American girls or Hispanic girls or boys. Conclusions: Findings from this study highlight the need to distinguish between different anxiety disorders. In addition, they underscore the importance of considering both gender and race/ethnicity when examining the relationship between anxiety and substance use during adolescence.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Appreciation is extended to the schools and students who participated in the study. Special thanks go to members of the Adolescent Adjustment Project staff, especially Kelly Cheeseman, Lisa Fong, Alyson Cavanaugh, Sara Bergamo, Ashley Malooly, Ashley Ings, and Michelle Morse.
FUNDING
This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grant number K01-AA015059. The author reports no conflicts of interest. In addition, the funding agency was not involved in the work reported.