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Behavioural disinhibition and depression symptoms have both been suggested as potential mechanisms linking conduct problems (CP) to adolescent substance use; however, their roles have yet to be conclusively identified. The current project examines whether these mental health characteristics mediate the association between CP and early adolescent substance use. Participants (N = 744) were drawn from an ongoing longitudinal study on children with and without early CP. Structural equation models showed significant associations between CP at T1 (6.3 to 10.6 years old) and both depression symptoms and behavioural disinhibition 3 years later (T4). While depression symptoms at T4 were not associated with substance use at T6, behavioural disinhibition was. A significant partial indirect effect also emerged for behavioural disinhibition in the association between CP and substance use, but this effect disappeared once we controlled for age. Clinical implications of our study include a focus on global CP symptomatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are a substance commonly misused in adolescence. A significant risk factor for the nonmedical use of BZDs is sex, whereby girls are more likely to misuse such drugs. However, very few studies have examined the mental health correlates of adolescents who engage in the nonmedical use of BZDs. The current study examines whether internalizing or externalizing symptoms explain the relationship between sex and nonmedical BZD use. Self-reported questionnaires were collected in 2018 from 6986 American high-school students between the ages of 12 and 19 years. Analyses were conducted using MPlus. A total of 5.3% (n = 367) adolescents reported using non-prescribed BZDs in the past year. Girls were significantly more likely to report BZD misuse than boys. Indirect effects emerged for both internalizing and externalizing symptoms in the association between sex and nonmedical BZD use. Our results suggest that nonmedical BZD use in adolescence may be indicative of increased mental health and behavioral problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victims of bullying are more likely to engage in addictive behaviors and experience mental health problems. However, the pathway by which bullying victimization and mental health problems predict engagement in multiple addictive behaviors remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to compare two mediation models in their prediction of engagement in multiple addictive behaviors. Survey responses were collected from 6641 high-school students aged 12 to 19. Measures include frequency of bullying victimization, past month use of alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, past year gambling, and the presence of anxiety, depression, and externalizing problems. Results indicate that the model with mental health symptoms and externalizing problems as mediators provided the better prediction of engagement in multiple addictive behaviors. Overall, the comparison of these mediation models clarifies the relationship between bullying victimization and addictive behaviors and the role of mental health symptoms and externalizing problems in this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]