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Temperament Pathways to Childhood Disruptive Behavior and Adolescent Substance Abuse: Testing a Cascade Model

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Abstract

Temperament traits may increase risk for developmental psychopathology like Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behaviors during childhood, as well as predisposing to substance abuse during adolescence. In the current study, a cascade model of trait pathways to adolescent substance abuse was examined. Component hypotheses were that (a) maladaptive traits would increase risk for inattention/hyperactivity, (b) inattention/hyperactivity would increase risk for disruptive behaviors, and (c) disruptive behaviors would lead to adolescent substance abuse. Participants were 674 children (486 boys) from 321 families in an ongoing, longitudinal high risk study that began when children were 3 years old. Temperament traits assessed were reactive control, resiliency, and negative emotionality, using examiner ratings on the California Q-Sort. Parent, teacher, and self ratings of inattention/hyperactivity, disruptive behaviors, and substance abuse were also obtained. Low levels of childhood reactive control, but not resiliency or negative emotionality, were associated with adolescent substance abuse, mediated by disruptive behaviors. Using a cascade model, family risk for substance abuse was partially mediated by reactive control, inattention/hyperactivity, and disruptive behavior. Some, but not all, temperament traits in childhood were related to adolescent substance abuse; these effects were mediated via inattentive/hyperactive and disruptive behaviors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, 2005 Geology & Psychology Building, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA

    Michelle M Martel

  2. Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Laura Pierce & Kenneth Adams

  3. Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Michelle M Martel, Laura Pierce, Joel T. Nigg & Hiram Fitzgerald

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Jennifer M. Jester, Kenneth Adams, Leon I Puttler, Anne Buu & Robert A. Zucker

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  1. Michelle M Martel
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  2. Laura Pierce
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  3. Joel T. Nigg
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  4. Jennifer M. Jester
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  5. Kenneth Adams
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  6. Leon I Puttler
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  7. Anne Buu
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  8. Hiram Fitzgerald
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  9. Robert A. Zucker
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Correspondence to Michelle M Martel.

Additional information

This work was supported by NIAAA grant R01-AA12217 to Robert Zucker and Joel Nigg, NIAAA grant R37-AA07065 to Robert Zucker and Hiram Fitzgerald, and NIMH grant R01-MH59105 to Joel Nigg. Martel was supported by 1 F31 MH075533-01A2. The authors thank the participants and Susan Refior, the long term MLS Field Director, whose steadfast commitment and support have made this study possible.

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Martel, M.M., Pierce, L., Nigg, J.T. et al. Temperament Pathways to Childhood Disruptive Behavior and Adolescent Substance Abuse: Testing a Cascade Model. J Abnorm Child Psychol 37, 363–373 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-008-9269-x

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