Adolescent substance use as related to parental support and parental control
Abstract
In this study, two models of the relationship between adolescent substance use and parental control and support were compared. Model 1, derived from the work of Baumrind (1987), posited lower adolescent substance use in a high control, high support style of parenting. Model 2, derived from the work of Simons, Conger, & Whitbeck (1988) posited lower adolescent substance use in a medium control, high support style of parenting. The sample of families, from several communities in two midwestern states, consisted of 122 adolescents, 111 mothers, and 55 fathers who had been referred for treatment of problems related to the adolescents' substance use. Adolescents completed self-report drug use questionnaires that formed the basis for three dependent variables (alcohol, marijuana, and other-drug use) used separately in a series of analysis of covariance factorial designs. Parental control and parental support measures, derived from behavioral observations of family interaction, using the Social Interaction Scoring System (Conger, 1984), were treated as independent variables or factors. Covariates were adolescent age and open communication with mother, the latter being a subscale of the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (Barnes & Olson, 1982). Results provided some limited support for Model 2 as it applied to father-adolescent relationships in that the adolescents' alcohol, marijuana, and other-drug use adjusted means were significantly lower in the medium father control condition when compared to the high father control condition. In addition, the alcohol use adjusted mean in the medium father control condition was significantly lower than that in the low control condition, and there was a similar trend approaching significance for marijuana use, but not for other-drug use. The substance use adjusted means for the low and high father support groups were not significantly different. There were no significant differences among the adjusted substance use means for the levels of support or control in the mother-adolescent relationships analyses for Model 1 or Model 2. However, there were some consistent (but not statistically significant) patterns in the mother-adolescent analyses that ran contrary to the Model 1 and Model 2 hypotheses. That is, the combinations of maternal support and maternal control predicted to be associated with the lowest adolescent drug use frequencies actually had the highest frequencies.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Lewis, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology|Public health
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.