Exploring the Relationship Between Ethnic Identity and Substance Abuse/Dependence Among Latino Youth

Abstract

Extant research on protective factors regarding substance use is limited, and this is especially true for research with minority populations. The authors focused on the role of ethnic identity and the relationship to problematic substance use with adolescent, Latino/a participants. We found no statistically significant effect between ethnic identity of adolescents who identify as Latino/a and their likelihood for self-reported substance/substance dependency behaviors. Hence, when addressing substance use among adolescents, identification with Latino cultural values may not be relevant in terms of addressing protective factors.