Trajectories of Single- or Multiple-Substance Use in a Population Representative Sample of Adolescents: Association with Substance-Related and Psychosocial Problems at Age 17
Background: Research is limited regarding the relationship between adolescent substance use and polysubstance use (SU/PSU) as well as their outcomes later in adolescence, while accounting for early risk factors. This study explored substance-related and psychosocial outcomes at age 17 associated wit...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Rene Carbonneau Frank Vitaro Mara Brendgen Michel Boivin Sylvana M. Côté Richard E. Tremblay |
| author_facet | Rene Carbonneau Frank Vitaro Mara Brendgen Michel Boivin Sylvana M. Côté Richard E. Tremblay |
| author_sort | Rene Carbonneau |
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| description | Background: Research is limited regarding the relationship between adolescent substance use and polysubstance use (SU/PSU) as well as their outcomes later in adolescence, while accounting for early risk factors. This study explored substance-related and psychosocial outcomes at age 17 associated with SU/PSU developmental trajectories in a population-representative cohort from Quebec, Canada (N = 1593; 48.4% male), while controlling for preadolescent individual, familial, and social risk factors. SU/PSU included concurrent use of alcohol (AL), cannabis (CA), and other illicit drugs (ODs). Methods: Self-reported substance use data were collected at ages 12, 13, 15, and 17. Latent growth modeling identified five trajectories: Non-Users (12.8%) and four SU/PSU classes (5.8–37.5%) with varying severity based on onset, frequency, and substance type. Multinomial regression, using non-users as the reference group, assessed trajectory associations with age-17 outcomes. Individual, familial, and social risk factors assessed at ages 10–12 served as control variables. Results: Adolescents in high-risk SU/PSU classes showed the most negative substance-related and psychosocial outcomes compared to non-users and lower-risk SU/PSU classes. Lower-risk SU/PSU classes showed higher maladjustment than non-users. Conclusions: The findings highlight a dose–response relationship between SU/PSU trajectories and late-adolescent outcomes, independent of preadolescent risk factors. Results emphasize the importance of longitudinal studies that incorporate multiple substances to better capture the complexity of teenagers’ involvement in substance use throughout adolescence. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-83a43584b78f45409bdbb824c4f34da6 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-83a43584b78f45409bdbb824c4f34da62025-08-20T02:28:18ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252025-03-0115433110.3390/brainsci15040331Trajectories of Single- or Multiple-Substance Use in a Population Representative Sample of Adolescents: Association with Substance-Related and Psychosocial Problems at Age 17Rene Carbonneau0Frank Vitaro1Mara Brendgen2Michel Boivin3Sylvana M. Côté4Richard E. Tremblay5Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, 3050 Edouard-Montpetit, Suite 225, Montréal, QC H3T 1J7, CanadaSainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, CanadaSainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, CanadaResearch Unit on Children’s Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, CanadaSainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, CanadaDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, 3050 Edouard-Montpetit, Suite 225, Montréal, QC H3T 1J7, CanadaBackground: Research is limited regarding the relationship between adolescent substance use and polysubstance use (SU/PSU) as well as their outcomes later in adolescence, while accounting for early risk factors. This study explored substance-related and psychosocial outcomes at age 17 associated with SU/PSU developmental trajectories in a population-representative cohort from Quebec, Canada (N = 1593; 48.4% male), while controlling for preadolescent individual, familial, and social risk factors. SU/PSU included concurrent use of alcohol (AL), cannabis (CA), and other illicit drugs (ODs). Methods: Self-reported substance use data were collected at ages 12, 13, 15, and 17. Latent growth modeling identified five trajectories: Non-Users (12.8%) and four SU/PSU classes (5.8–37.5%) with varying severity based on onset, frequency, and substance type. Multinomial regression, using non-users as the reference group, assessed trajectory associations with age-17 outcomes. Individual, familial, and social risk factors assessed at ages 10–12 served as control variables. Results: Adolescents in high-risk SU/PSU classes showed the most negative substance-related and psychosocial outcomes compared to non-users and lower-risk SU/PSU classes. Lower-risk SU/PSU classes showed higher maladjustment than non-users. Conclusions: The findings highlight a dose–response relationship between SU/PSU trajectories and late-adolescent outcomes, independent of preadolescent risk factors. Results emphasize the importance of longitudinal studies that incorporate multiple substances to better capture the complexity of teenagers’ involvement in substance use throughout adolescence.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/4/331substance usepolysubstance useadolescencetrajectoriespreadolescencerisk factors |
| spellingShingle | Rene Carbonneau Frank Vitaro Mara Brendgen Michel Boivin Sylvana M. Côté Richard E. Tremblay Trajectories of Single- or Multiple-Substance Use in a Population Representative Sample of Adolescents: Association with Substance-Related and Psychosocial Problems at Age 17 Brain Sciences substance use polysubstance use adolescence trajectories preadolescence risk factors |
| title | Trajectories of Single- or Multiple-Substance Use in a Population Representative Sample of Adolescents: Association with Substance-Related and Psychosocial Problems at Age 17 |
| title_full | Trajectories of Single- or Multiple-Substance Use in a Population Representative Sample of Adolescents: Association with Substance-Related and Psychosocial Problems at Age 17 |
| title_fullStr | Trajectories of Single- or Multiple-Substance Use in a Population Representative Sample of Adolescents: Association with Substance-Related and Psychosocial Problems at Age 17 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trajectories of Single- or Multiple-Substance Use in a Population Representative Sample of Adolescents: Association with Substance-Related and Psychosocial Problems at Age 17 |
| title_short | Trajectories of Single- or Multiple-Substance Use in a Population Representative Sample of Adolescents: Association with Substance-Related and Psychosocial Problems at Age 17 |
| title_sort | trajectories of single or multiple substance use in a population representative sample of adolescents association with substance related and psychosocial problems at age 17 |
| topic | substance use polysubstance use adolescence trajectories preadolescence risk factors |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/4/331 |
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