The Development of Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors Among Youth With or Without a Family History of Substance U
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The Development of Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors Among Youth With or Without a Family History of Substance Use Disorder: The Indirect Effects of Early‑Life Stress and Impulsivity A. M. Wasserman1 · J. Wimmer1 · N. Hill‑Kapturczak1 · T. E. Karns‑Wright1 · C. W. Mathias1 · D. M. Dougherty1 Accepted: 2 October 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Youth with a family history of substance use disorder (FH+) are more prone to have externalizing and internalizing problems compared to youth without a family history of substance use disorder (FH−), increasing the likelihood of later maladjustment. However, mechanisms for this association remain understudied. In this longitudinal study, we examined if FH+ youth are more likely to experience early-life stressors (ELS), which in turn would increase impulsivity and the expression of externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Data were collected from youth and a parent (n = 386) during a baseline assessment (age 10–12 years) and every six months when the youth was 13–16 years old. In support of the primary hypothesis, FH+ youth reported higher levels of externalizing and internalizing behaviors through ELS to impulsivity providing a developmental pathway through which FH+ youth are more prone to externalizing and internalizing problems. Keywords At-risk youth · Early-life stress · Impulsivity · Externalizing behavior · Internalizing behavior
Introduction Adolescence is a developmental stage when externalizing (e.g., delinquency) and internalizing problems (e.g., depressed mood) typically manifest [1, 2]. Understanding the development of externalizing and internalizing problems during adolescence is crucial because both are considered transdiagnostic processes that may place youth at risk for psychiatric disorders (e.g., substance use disorder, affective disorders) later in life [3–11]. Thus, elucidating mechanisms through which youth with a family history of substance use disorder (FH+) exhibit higher levels of externalizing and internalizing behaviors [12, 13] can reduce the risk for later psychopathology. One factor that may explain why FH+ youth display disproportionately higher levels of externalizing and internalizing behaviors is early-life stress or stressors (ELS). ELS is defined broadly in the present study to include stressors experienced in a variety of contexts (e.g., interpersonal * A. M. Wasserman [email protected] 1
relationships, school, etc.). Stress has been widely acknowledged as a risk factor for developing externalizing and internalizing problems [14, 15]. FH+ youth, in particular, may be more prone to experiencing ELS. A father or mother with a substance use disorder may be unable to effectively fulfill his or her role as a parent and disrupt the family system [16, 17]. The disruption of the family system, in turn, can permeate to other important developmental contexts (e.g., school, peer relationships [18]) leading to an accumulation of stressful life events that the
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