Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2025

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
The Role of Family Functioning in the Prevention of Depressive Symptoms and Drug Use Among Hispanic Youth
Beck Graefe1, Padideh Lovan1, Alyssa Lozano1
1University of Miami.
Background:
There is an established link between depression and drug use among adolescents. This relationship holds true for Hispanic youth, for whom familial relationships are especially impactful toward health outcomes.
Purpose:
Our purpose was to examine the relationships between family functioning and adolescent and parent depressive symptoms, and the indirect effects of depressive symptoms on the relationship between family functioning and adolescent drug use.
Methods:
Participants were 231 Hispanic adolescents (52.9% female, Mage=13.90±1.37) and their parents (93.0% female, Mage=43.24±6.64) enrolled in an RCT. Data on depressive symptoms, drug use, and family functioning were collected and a latent variable was specified using four indicators of family functioning (positive parenting, monitoring, communication, and involvement). A structural equation model approach was utilized.
Results:
Youth family functioning predicted youths' depressive symptoms which predicted their own drug use. Youths' depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between youth family functioning and drug use.
Discussion:
Findings suggest that adolescents' perceptions of family functioning plays a role in preventing depressive symptoms and drug use among Hispanic youth.
Translation To Health Education Practice:
Teaching students of the role that family support and depressive symptoms play in the manifestation of drug use may be an effective approach to preventing drug use.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Drug Dependence

