Relationship Between Anxiety Disorders and Substance Use Among Adolescents in the Community: Specificity and Gender Differences

• NCJ Number: 229727
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 39 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2010 Pages: 177-188
• Author(s): Ping Wu; Renee D. Goodwin; Cordelia Fuller; Xinhua Liu; Jonathan S. Comer; Patricia Cohen; Christina W. Hoven
• Date Published: February 2010
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): DA013473
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined three categories of adolescent substance use in relation to the co-occurrence of anxiety disorders, separation anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, focusing on gender differences in the patterns of these relationships.

Abstract

Using a sample of 781 adolescents (ages 13-17, 52.8 percent male) from a community survey, this study examined gender differences in the co-occurrence of specific anxiety disorders with substance use in adolescents. The associations between anxiety disorders and substance use differed according to the particular anxiety disorders and forms of substance use being examined, as well as by gender. Social phobia was associated with cigarette smoking among boys only. For girls, social phobia appeared to be negatively associated with drug use. For the other anxiety disorders, the associations with substance use tended to be stronger among girls. These findings highlight the need to improve clinical recognition of the anxiety disorders and to improve treatment access for afflicted adolescents. Future studies based on longitudinal data could further elucidate the relationships among anxiety disorders, gender, and substance use. Tables and references (Published Abstract)