Substance abuse and associated psychosocial problems among Argentina adolescents: sex heterogeneity and familial transmission.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this investigation was to clarify the effects of sex and familial transmission in the psychosocial concomitants of substance abuse problems among adolescents.

METHOD

Male (n = 956) and female (n = 303) adolescents in school, and male adolescents in a drug treatment program (n = 51) in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina were administered a translated version of the Drug Use Screening Inventory. Use of substances, familial substance abuse and associations between psychosocial problem domains and substance abuse problems were examined.

RESULTS

Sex heterogeneity was broadly observed in terms of both substance abuse and psychosocial problems. Female adolescents in the school-based sample were found to generally report higher levels of psychosocial problems and greater use of minor tranquillizers than school boys or boys in treatment for substance abuse. Conduct deviancy was associated with substance abuse problems only in males, while health problems were associated only in females. However, among all youth, substance abuse problems were found to be associated with older age, greater social competency, problems in school performance, and involvement with deviant peers. Familial substance abuse was associated with substance abuse problems among all adolescents, however, the pattern of associations with other psychosocial problems differed between males and females.

CONCLUSIONS

Sex heterogeneity was found in the associations between psychosocial problems, adolescent substance abuse, and familial substance abuse. Furthermore, the results are consistent with a syndrome of problem behaviors.