Family Warmth and Substance Use Among American Indian Youth

Strategic Insights -

Family warmth and positive affect can have a compounding protective effect on cannabis use among American Indian youth, particularly among females, according to a recent study. The research surveyed 5,831 American Indian students in the seventh to 12th grade during the 2021 and 2022 school years. The study found that family warmth and negative affect, but not positive affect, were significantly related to alcohol use, while all three predictors related significantly to cannabis use. Family warmth did not moderate associations between negative affect and either substance in the overall sample, but it did bolster the protective effects of positive affect on cannabis use.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study surveyed 5,831 American Indian students in the seventh to 12th grade during the 2021 and 2022 school years.
  • Family warmth and negative affect, but not positive affect, were significantly related to alcohol use.
  • All three predictors related significantly to cannabis use.
  • Family warmth did not moderate associations between negative affect and either substance in the overall sample.
  • Family warmth moderated associations between positive affect and cannabis use, with family warmth bolstering protective effects.
  • Female youth were less likely than male youth to use alcohol with increasing levels of warmth.
  • Composting protective effects of family warmth and positive affect on cannabis use were stronger among female compared to male youth.
  • The study suggests that substance use interventions should consider the compounding effects of family warmth and positive affect.

Statistics:

  • 5,831 American Indian students were surveyed in the seventh to 12th grade during the 2021 and 2022 school years.
  • 63% of the sample reported using cannabis in the past year.
  • 43% of the sample reported using alcohol in the past year.
  • Female youth were less likely than male youth to use alcohol (36% vs. 52%).

Sources:

  • Speech, "A Structural Equation Model Test of Affect, Family Warmth, and Substance Use Among American Indian Reservation-based Adolescents," by Randall C. Swaim et al., Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2025.
  • NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
  • Colorado State University, "A Structural Equation Model Test of Affect, Family Warmth, and Substance Use Among American Indian Reservation-based Adolescents."