Substance use and suicidal ideation among child welfare involved adolescents: A longitudinal examination

The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal predictors of alcohol use, marijuana use, and suicidal ideation among maltreated adolescents.

Longitudinal data from this study come from three waves of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing II (NSCAW II). Participants included 1050 adolescents (M_age = 14.13) who were subjects of child abuse or neglect investigations. Items from the Health Risk Behavior Questionnaire were used to measure alcohol and marijuana use. Suicidal ideation was measured using an item from the Childhood Depression Inventory. Data on deviant peer affiliation, caregiver health, maltreatment type, age, race, and gender were also collected.

Marijuana use, suicidal ideation, caregiver drug abuse, deviant peer affiliation, age, and race were predictive of alcohol use. Alcohol use, deviant peer affiliation, age, and time were predictive of marijuana use. Alcohol use, deviant peer affiliation, age, and gender predicted suicidal ideation.

Longitudinal evidence indicated that individual, family, and peer factors played an important role in predicting alcohol use, marijuana use, and suicidal ideation among child welfare involved adolescents. In addition, this study provides evidence of a potentially reciprocal relationship between alcohol use and suicidal ideation among this population. Intervention efforts for reducing the public health problems of substance use and suicide among child welfare involved adolescents should focus on the importance of peers in influencing thoughts and behaviors, as well as the functional relationship between alcohol use and suicidal ideation.