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PATHWAYS TO EARLY SUBSTANCE USE IN CHILD WELFARE-INVOLVED YOUTH

Kobulsky, Julia

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Social Welfare.
Youth in the child welfare system experience multiple risk factors for substance use and exhibit higher rates of substance use disorder (Pecora, White, Jackson, & Wiggins, 2009). However, although early substance use (i.e., by age 13) is a known risk factor for substance use disorder (Grant & Dawson 1997, 1998), scarce research has examined early substance use in child welfare youths. In this two-part study, a developmental psychopathology perspective is applied to examine pathways to early substance use with data from the first National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). In part 1, the prevalence of substance use, including alcohol, marijuana, and inhalant use, among child welfare (n = 896) and general population eighth graders from the Monitoring the Future Study was compared. Second, path analysis was used to examine demographic predictors (i.e., age, gender, race/ethnicity, and out-of-home placement) of substance use among child welfare eighth graders. Part 2 used path analysis with MPLUS in a sample of 11–13 year olds at Wave 1 (n = 796) to examine the relationships between physical and sexual abuse severity and early substance use, the mediating role of internal well-being problems (i.e., internalizing behavior problems and posttraumatic stress), and gender differences. Focal measures included the child-reported Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (physical abuse severity), the Trauma Symptom Checklist (posttraumatic stress), the Youth Self Report (internalizing behavior problems), and the NSCAW’s caseworker-alleged abuse (sexual abuse severity) and child substance abuse module (any use of alcohol, marijuana, hard drugs, inhalants, or nonmedical prescription drugs). Findings indicated comparable or lower incidence of substances among NSCAW eighth graders overall than the general population, but higher past 30-day inhalant use among NSCAW eighth graders in out-of-home placement. Out-of-home placement was associated with higher inhalant use (lifetime and 30-day) and alcohol use (lifetime). Significant indirect effects of physical abuse severity on early substance use were found through internalizing behavior problems, but no gender differences. These findings imply the need for out-of-home caregiver education on inhalant use and demonstrate the salience of internal pathways to early substance use, indicating the need to integrate mental health and substance use services.
David Hussey (Committee Chair)
Megan Holmes (Committee Member)
Sonia Minnes (Committee Member)
Mark Singer (Committee Member)
Adam Perzynski (Committee Member)
170 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kobulsky, J. (2016). PATHWAYS TO EARLY SUBSTANCE USE IN CHILD WELFARE-INVOLVED YOUTH [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459419413

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kobulsky, Julia. PATHWAYS TO EARLY SUBSTANCE USE IN CHILD WELFARE-INVOLVED YOUTH. 2016. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459419413.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kobulsky, Julia. "PATHWAYS TO EARLY SUBSTANCE USE IN CHILD WELFARE-INVOLVED YOUTH." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1459419413

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)