Behavioral processes and risk for problem substance use in adolescents.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Adolescent problem substance use is a significant public health concern.
• Cognitive and emotional regulation processes are implicated in adult substance use disorders.
• Early life adversity (ELA) is a known risk factor for various negative health outcomes, including substance use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the associations between specific cognitive and emotional regulation processes and adolescent problem substance use.
• To explore the role of early life adversity in shaping these processes and their link to substance use risk.
• To discuss the implications of these findings for understanding adolescent risk and prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of existing literature.
• Examination of associations between delay discounting, response inhibition, sensation-seeking, and urgency with adolescent problem substance use.
• Synthesis of findings related to early life adversity and developmental trajectories.

Main Results:

• Delay discounting, response inhibition, sensation-seeking, and urgency are all associated with adolescent problem substance use.
• These processes are linked to early life adversity, potentially mediating the relationship between ELA and substance use.
• Developmental patterns of these processes align with maturational imbalance hypotheses of adolescent risk.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive and emotional regulation processes are critical factors in adolescent substance use risk.
• Early life adversity significantly impacts the development of these processes, contributing to substance use vulnerability.
• Understanding these processes offers potential avenues for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies for adolescent problem substance use.