Vulnerability or Resilience to Early Substance Use Among Adolescents at Risk of Maltreatment: The Roles of Maltreatment and Father Involvement

Background: Early substance use (i.e., by age 13), is a serious public health concern that is associated with a host of negative health outcomes. Although research has indicated that maltreated children are at higher risk of adolescent substance use, it remains unclear whether and how the type and timing of maltreatment affect early substance use. Research has also found father involvement to be a potential protective factor against adolescent substance use, but the distinctive role of quality vs. quantity of father involvement as well as gender differences in the effects of father involvement on substance use have not been thoroughly studied. This study contributes to the literature by a) examining the effect of the timing and type of maltreatment; b) investigating the role of the quantity and quality of father involvement; and c) exploring potential gender differences in the effects of father involvement on early substance use among youth at risk of maltreatment.

Methods: Generalized estimating equations modeling was performed with a sample of 685 at-risk youth drawn from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. Early substance use (i.e., any substance use by age 13) was measured at age 14 using The NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children/Youth. The type (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect) and timing (early childhood: 0–5 vs. mid-late childhood: 6–12) of maltreatment were assessed using the CPS records from birth to age 12. The quality of father involvement (e.g., closeness, trust) was assessed at age 12 using a 6-item self-report scale. The quantity of father involvement (e.g., play sports, go shopping) was measured at age 12 using a 9-item self-report scale.

Results: The study found a connection between early childhood (birth to 5) physical abuse and early substance use but not for later childhood physical abuse or other forms of child maltreatment. Adolescents who experienced physical abuse during early childhood had 1.76 times higher odds of early substance use (OR = 1.77, p = .024). The interaction test indicated no significant gender moderating effects either for the quality of father involvement or quantity of father involvement. The quality of father involvement was found to be a protective factor regardless of gender; for every one point higher on the quality of father involvement scale, the odds of early substance use decreased by 8% (OR = .92, p = .029. The quantity of father involvement was not significant.

Conclusion: The results highlight early childhood physical abuse as a key predictor of early substance use among at-risk youth. Additionally, a high quality of father involvement (i.e., positive and close father-child relationships) was found to increase resilience against early substance use for both boys and girls. These findings suggest that development of interventions focusing on the prevention of early childhood physical abuse and promotion of positive father-child relationships may be important preventive intervention strategies for adolescent substance use. Additionally, professionals working with these at-risk youth need to be cognizant of the implications of early childhood physical abuse and act accordingly to mitigate the increased potential for adolescent substance use.