NCJ Number
224203
Journal
Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: 2008 Pages: 41-56
Date Published
2008
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined the problem behavior and self-medication models of alcohol abuse in incarcerated male adolescents (n=56).
Abstract
The study found that for the majority of incarcerated male adolescents in this sample, alcohol-related problems were associated with both self-medication and problem behavior. Approximately 84 percent of adolescents with clinically significant alcohol-related problems prior to their incarceration reported using alcohol for purposes of self-medication; and 73 percent indicated that their alcohol use was associated with aggressive and rebellious behavior. Further, adolescents with clinically significant alcohol-related problems prior to incarceration reported higher levels of symptoms of emotional disorders, mood-related cognitive distortion, and less use of social support during incarceration than adolescents without clinically significant alcohol-related problems. They also reported more symptoms associated with oppositional-defiant disorder, but not conduct disorder. These findings suggest that incarcerated adolescents with a history of alcohol-related problems may require skills training in addition to substance abuse services in order to address various emotional and behavioral symptoms and deficits in coping skills. Fifty-six male adolescents admitted to a juvenile correctional facility in the Northeast composed the study sample. Their mean age was 17.7 years old. The sample was administered the Adolescent Drinking Index, a 24-item self-report questionnaire that provided an index of severity of problem drinking among adolescents referred for emotional or behavior disorders. They were also administered the Youth Self-Report Form, which identifies emotional and problem behaviors in children and adolescents; the Cognitive Triad Inventory for Children, which assesses self-perceived competencies and global self-worth in children and adolescents and cognitive factors that underlie depression; the Negative Affect Self-Statement Questionnaire, which assesses the frequency of anxious and depressive self-talk by children and adolescents; the Kidcope, a checklist that assesses the use of 10 cognitive and behavioral coping strategies; and the Adolescent Drinking Questionnaire, which assesses alcohol use. 1 table and 31 references