Domestic violence and risk of internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents living with relatives displaying substance use disorders

Abstract

Objective To investigate the association between exposure to domestic violence and increased risk of internalizing and externalizing problems and substance use among adolescents living with relatives with substance use disorder (SUD) at a low-income community of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 102 adolescents aged 12-17 years (M = 14.2, SD = 1.7) who were living with relatives suffering from SUD. Outcomes were measured using the Youth Self-Report (YSR), psychosocial stress factors questionnaire, Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI) and Phrase Inventory of Intrafamily Child Abuse (PIICA). Results The sample presented high prevalence of emotional/behavioral problems with YSR’s scores in the clinical range for Internalizing Problems (24.5%), Externalizing Problems (21.6%), and Total Problems (26.5%). The presence of mental health problems predicted substance use (PR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.2-4.13), and substance use predicted increased risk of mental health problems. Alcohol use predicted more than double the risk of emotional/behavioral problems (PR = 2.01; 95% CI = 1.08-3.76), while illicit drug use was associated with an almost threefold increase in the prevalence of Internalizing (PR = 2.87; 95% CI = 1.19-6.89) and Externalizing Problems (PR = 3.3; 95% CI = 1.35-8.04). Conclusion Adolescents of relatives with SUD are at risk of developing emotional and behavioral problems. These findings reinforce the need to develop public mental health policies, which include protective interventions to adolescents living in families affected by substance use disorders.

Aggression and violence in adolescents in the iberoamerican context, a systematic review

“…Due to this, a series of typologies were developed in the present work. In the first one, relational categories, the majority of the articles retrieved are included (20), belonging to 46 % of the total articles, in which topics such as Dating, Family, and schooling relationship of partners are grouped. In the second typology, Personal categories (12), with a percentage of 25 % topics such as behavior and the use of substances by adolescents.…”

“…In the systematic review, it could be observed that the different studies emphasized: dating relationships with a general objective of the realization of tests for the study of violent relationships in adolescents in different cultural contexts (47); in behavioral research, the objective was to study the variables leading a young person to act violently and aggressively through instruments in the different environments in which they interacted (57); in family relationships, the purpose was to evaluate domestic relationships and how these affect the adolescent's life (20); in legal aspects, although there was very little research retrieved, this consisted of examining mental health in adolescents who were going through detention for some legal conflict (58); in peer schooling relationship, the primary emphasis was to detect school violence involving the parents in preventing further violent abuse (59).…”

“…During adolescence, young people are exposed to multiple scenarios of violence and aggression (16,17), an issue evinced in several studies that have analyzed the conditions of this age group in relation to other variables: use and abuse of psychoactive substances and generation of violence (18)(19)(20); violent video games (21), bullying (22); child maltreatment and psychopathy (23)(24)(25), violence control, parenting states and pedagogy in violence (26,27) and dating characterized by aggressive behaviors (28)(29)(30) with findings that demonstrate the bidirectionality of the aggression (31).…”

Theories of Change and Mediators of Psychotherapy Effectiveness in Adolescents With Externalising Behaviours: A Systematic Review

“…However, ED and ID have a substantial overlap, as they share common aetiologies (18). For example, long-term externalising behaviours can lead to internalising symptoms later in life (19,20) and vice versa (21) and are highly correlated (22). Despite the comorbidity of ED and ID, distinctive pathways have been described for externalising disorders from ODD via CD to anti-social-personality disorder in adulthood (22).…”

“…-Parent Management Training (PMT): Parent management training is based on behavioural and social learning principles (20,21). PMT addresses problematic parent-child interactions, especially coercive family processes (33).…”