Factors_That_Contribute_to_Teenage_Drug_Use

U05d1 Project Outline Feedback Leslie Medina What are Contributing Factors that Cause Some Teens to Use Drugs and Alcohol and While Other Teens Remain Abstinence'       PURPOSE: Contributing factors that cause some teens to use drugs and alcohol, while other teens are able to demonstrate resiliency and abstinence I. Introduction Who is the Addict' Addictive tragedies are striking every community in the nation. What aspects of psychological makeup contribute to addiction' Drug use beginning in adolescence is associated with long-term adjustment problems such as drug and alcohol abuse(Robins & Przybeck, 1985), dropping out of school(Kaplan & Liu, 1994;Newcomb & Bentler, 1988), marital instability in adulthood(Kandel, Davies, Karus & Yamaguchi, 1986; Yamaguchi & Kandel, 1985), mental health problems(Johnson & Kaplan.1990), and poor school performance(Stein, Smith, Guy & Bentler,1993). A. Personality Factors that Contribute to Addiction 1. Impulsive behavior, difficulty in delaying gratification, antisocial personality, disposition toward sensation seeking 2. High value on nonconformity combined with a weak commitment to goal achievement 3. Sense of social alienation and general tolerance for deviance 4. Sense of heightened stress B. Genetic Predisposition Dishion, T. J, Owen, L. D. (2002) A Longitudinal Analysis of Friendships and Substance Use: Bidirectional Influence from Adolescence to Adulthood Developmental Psychology Vol. 38 pp. 480-491 American Psychological Association This article finds a common factor leading to all forms of substance abuse is involvement in a substance-using peer group. It is hypothesized that friends can influence drug use and, conversely, that drug use impacts the selection of friends