Exploring Mediational Pathways Between Child Maltreatment and Substance Use
Open Access
- Author:
- Olson, Anneke
- Graduate Program:
- Human Development and Family Studies
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- March 03, 2020
- Committee Members:
- Chad Edward Shenk, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Jennie G Noll, Committee Member
Linda Marie Collins, Committee Member
Douglas Michael Teti, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- child maltreatment
substance use
externalizing behavior
internalizing behavior
LONGSCAN - Abstract:
- Child maltreatment is a significant public health problem associated with a number of negative outcomes impacting millions of children annually. One well-established outcome of child maltreatment is the increased likelihood of substance use. Greater frequency and intensity of both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in adolescence may be pathways through which child maltreatment leads to the increased use of various substances. The present study utilizes The Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN; N = 1354) to explore the mediating roles of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems at age 12 in explaining the relationship between confirmed child maltreatment prior to 4 years of age and polysubstance use at age 18. Results support an externalizing pathway to substance use for both males and females, emphasizing the promise of targeted prevention focused on externalizing behaviors in the child maltreatment population. The present findings are placed in the context of previous research in this area. The unique contributions of this study are also highlighted, including measurement of constructs at critical developmental periods, use of objective assessment of child maltreatment, and the application of a rigorous multiple mediator model to test study hypotheses.