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Distress tolerance and subsequent substance use throughout high school
Afton Kechter1, Jessica L Barrington-Trimis1, Junhan Cho1
1Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Addictive Behaviors
|May 19, 2021
Summary
Higher distress tolerance in early adolescence is linked to less frequent substance use throughout high school. Interventions promoting distress tolerance may prevent adolescent substance use.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent psychology
- Substance use research
- Mental health interventions
Background:
- Distress tolerance, the ability to endure aversive experiences, is a key psychological construct.
- Adolescence is a critical period for the development of substance use behaviors.
- Understanding factors that predict substance use is crucial for prevention efforts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between perceived distress tolerance and subsequent substance use frequency in adolescents.
- To determine if distress tolerance predicts the frequency of alcohol, cigarette, e-cigarette, cannabis, and opioid use.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study surveyed 3,203 high school students semiannually from 2013 to 2017.
- The Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) was administered at baseline (9th grade).
- Self-reported substance use frequency and mental health status were assessed at multiple timepoints.
Main Results:
- Among adolescents who had not used substances at baseline, higher DTS scores predicted lower frequency of alcohol, cigarette, and opioid use over 4 years.
- This association was not significant for adolescents who had already used substances at baseline.
- Baseline mental health status did not moderate the relationship between DTS and substance use frequency.
Conclusions:
- Elevated distress tolerance in early high school may serve as a protective factor against frequent substance use.
- Interventions aimed at enhancing distress tolerance in early adolescence could be effective in preventing higher rates of substance use throughout high school.
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