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Temporal Window for Optimal Intervention to Prevent Substance Use: New Study Reveals Crucial Insight

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research conducted using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study has shed light on the complex relationship between substance use (SU) expectancies and peer influence on early adolescents. Specifically, the study examined the effects of peer teasing and exclusion (PTEs) on SU expectancies and subsequent substance use. The findings indicate that PTEs are associated with increased SU expectancies and subsequent use, particularly when negative expectancies are involved.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study leveraged data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which contains annual assessments of PTEs, SU expectancies, and SU itself from ages 10 to 14 years old.
  • The results show that PTEs are associated with increased negative and positive SU expectancies and subsequently associated with greater use itself directly and indirectly via positive expectancies concurrently and prospectively.
  • At the within-person level, PTEs were associated with increased negative and positive SU expectancies concurrently but not prospectively.
  • The study highlights a temporal window for optimal intervention to prevent SU by challenging beliefs that substances are helpful following PTEs and leveraging negative beliefs about SU following PTEs.
  • The effects of PTEs on expectancies seem to diminish over time.

Statistics:

  • The study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which contains 11,868 participants, with 48% female and 52% White.
  • The study found that PTEs were associated with increased SU expectancies and subsequent use, particularly when negative expectancies were involved.
  • At the between-person level, PTEs were associated with greater use itself directly and indirectly via positive expectancies concurrently and prospectively (55.6% of participants).
  • The study highlights a temporal window for optimal intervention to prevent SU, lagging approximately 6 months behind PTEs.
  • The study advises challenging beliefs that substances are helpful following PTEs and leveraging negative beliefs about SU following PTEs to prevent SU.

Sources:

  • osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/jd83a_v1/
  • Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

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