NCJ Number
138963
Journal
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry Volume: 36 Issue: 10 Dated: (December 1991) Pages: 699-704
Date Published
1991
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study explored the link between psychiatric disorder and the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs using a sample of 1,302 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years from households identified in Canada's 1981 census.
Abstract
The adolescents participated in the 1983 Ontario Child Health Study, a cross-sectional community survey designed to study the epidemiology of childhood psychiatric disorders, chronic health problems, and substance use among adolescents in Ontario. Responses of both adolescents and parents were used in the analysis of data from structured, self- administered questionnaires completed privately at home by each participating youth and parent. Findings indicated that adolescent substance use was strongly associated with self- reported psychiatric disorders. Conduct disorder was the most strongly related to substance use. Emotional disorder was also related to substance abuse but at a lower magnitude than conduct disorder. Attention deficit disorder was not related to substance use in any meaningful way. The severity and type of psychiatric disorder experienced by adolescents involved in substance use were similar for males and females. Parental reports of conduct disorder offered no additional predictive value over adolescents' self- assessments. 19 references and 6 tables