The impact of foster care experiences on marijuana use in young adults

ABSTRACT

Transitioning to adulthood may be more challenging, and lead to greater negative outcomes, when a youth uses drugs. This study examined the unique effects of foster care experiences on marijuana use in young adults aged 18–25 (N = 185), controlling for mental health, trauma history, and child maltreatment type. Compared to a low-income control sample, foster care alumni were more likely to report trauma exposure, anxiety, and daily marijuana use. Hierarchical linear showed that trauma exposure and physical abuse both predicted marijuana use in foster care alumni, as did entering foster care at a younger age and spending more time in care.

KEYWORDS:

• Anxiety
• child maltreatment
• foster care
• marijuana
• trauma

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.