Using Structural Equation Modeling to Explore Substance Use Among Chilean Adolescents: The Effects of Mothers, Fathers, and Peer Relationships

Purpose: It is well established that parents and peers can have substantial influence on adolescent behavioral outcomes. Specifically, positive interactions and relationships with parents and peers have been demonstrated to be protective factors for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and substance use among adolescents. Limited work has explored whether parent and peer interactions and relationships are interconnected and how, together these interconnections may affect adolescent substance use, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, only recently has there been increased exploration of the differential role mother and fathers may play in child and adolescent development. However, the examination of the interconnections between factors associated with problem behaviors among adolescents, particularly the role of the father, has been rare within Latin American populations. This study addressed these gaps in the literature by exploring the interrelations of parents, both mothers and fathers, and peer relationships on substance use, anxiety, and depression among a Chilean adolescent sample. Methods: Data are from the Santiago Longitudinal Study, a NIDA-funded study of drug use with 1,021 adolescents (M=14.2 years, 49% female) from municipalities of mid- to low- socioeconomic status. Youth completed 2-hr interviewer-administered questionnaires with comprehensive questions on substance use, individual, peer, familial, and contextual factors. For this study we used the questions about past-year use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Any consumption was coded as “1” and no consumption as “0”. Symptoms of anxiety/depression were assessed with the Youth Self Report with higher scores indicating more symptoms. Interaction and relationship quality with parents and peers were reported by adolescents. Using structural equation modeling, we examined the interconnections between parent and peer interactions and substance use (e.g., cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana) and symptoms of anxiety/depression. Results: As expected, older adolescents were more likely to have used cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Male Chilean adolescents were more likely to use substances than female adolescents whereas females were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety/depression than males. From SEM analyses we found that having positive interactions with fathers and peers had direct effects on the adolescents' substance use and symptoms of anxiety/depression. Specifically, those with more positive interactions with fathers and peers were less likely to use substances and to have symptoms of anxiety/depression. Positive interactions with mothers had an indirect effect on substance use and symptoms of anxiety/depression, where more positive interactions with mothers were related to positive interactions with peers and those with more positive interactions with peers were less likely to use substances and to have symptoms of anxiety/depression. Implications: Our findings support that parental and peer interactions are important factors in adolescent substance use, anxiety, and depression, and highlight the importance of positive interactions with fathers. More research is needed to better understand the role that both mothers and fathers jointly and independently play in influencing their children's lives during adolescence, a developmental period marked by youth struggling for independence. In this presentation we discuss implications for prevention and intervention programs aimed at Chilean adolescents in particular but also for adolescents in the U.S..