Life Stressors and Substance Abuse in African American Adolescents Residing in a Public Housing Community

Abstract

An investigation of adolescent life stressors and substance abuse was conducted. Several variables have been linked to the onset of illicit drug-taking behaviors. Current propositions conclude that peer pressure, curiosity, drug availability, sociability, boredom, frustration, and low socioeconomic status are culprits in substance abuse. However, little-to-no attention was given to adolescent life stressors as a contributing factor to the onset of substance abuse. Thus, an exploratory investigation of the variables linking life stressors to the onset of substance abuse was conducted using the “grounded theory” qualitative research approach.

Keywords:

• Adolescent
• stress
• stressors
• substance use
• substance abuse