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The Dysregulation Profile and Substance Use: Investigating Their Co-Variation From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood
Tara R Cooper-Dubé1, Alice Shen1, Paweena Sukhawathanakul1
1Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Emerging Adulthood (Print)
|June 29, 2026
Summary
Dysregulation Profile (DP) difficulties in youth increase in adolescence and decrease in emerging adulthood. Substance use is closely linked to these changes, with higher use correlating to greater dysregulation.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The Dysregulation Profile (DP) involves significant challenges in cognitive, affective, and behavioral regulation.
- These impairments persist into adulthood, but developmental changes during adolescence to emerging adulthood are not well understood.
- DP is linked to substance use disorder risk, but its trajectory with substance use during this transition is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the developmental trajectory of dysregulation from adolescence to emerging adulthood.
- To investigate the relationship between substance use and dysregulation during this life transition.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 662 Canadian youth (mean age 15.52) over 10 years.
- Multilevel modeling to analyze changes in dysregulation and substance use.
- Examined both between-person (average) and within-person (time-varying) substance use.
Main Results:
- Dysregulation increased during adolescence and subsequently declined in emerging adulthood.
- Higher average substance use was associated with higher overall dysregulation.
- Periods of above-average substance use corresponded to heightened dysregulation concurrently.
Conclusions:
- Dysregulation exhibits distinct developmental patterns across adolescence and emerging adulthood.
- Substance use is a significant predictor of dysregulation, both on average and within individuals over time.
- Findings highlight the dynamic interplay between dysregulation and substance use during a critical developmental period.
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