Exploring substance misuse behaviors among black girls in detention: Intersections of trauma, sex, and age

The Relationship between Religion, Substance Misuse, and Mental Health among Black Youth

“…We noted significant relationships between mental health and Black youth who had sex while on drugs and alcohol, including 20% who reported mental health symptoms (i.e., suicidal thoughts, nervousness, panic spells), and 12% who reported having sex while they were on drugs and alcohol, respectively. This finding raises interest in the role of substances (i.e., drugs), given that studies about drug use among Black youth produce mixed results ( McGee and Foriest 2009 ; McGee et al 2018 ; Quinn et al forthcoming a ; Welch-Brewer et al 2011 ). In the context of CRT, Black youth could be influenced by the overall quality of life they experience in low-income neighborhoods.…”

“…The study design is cross sectional so significant findings do not provide any temporal or causal inferences. In addition, the city of Chicago has received national attention due to violence, so our results may not be generalizable to youth who live in rural communities or have not been exposed to similar rates of violence, being houseless ( Gabriel et al 2022 ), or multi-system-involved (child welfare or youth punishment; Quinn et al forthcoming b ), as well as foreign-born youth who live in the United States—who may have been exposed to different types of violence, i.e., war and/or torture. CRT may shed light here as tenet four, interest convergence/material determinism focuses on the way “racism brings material advantage to the majority race, and progressive change regarding race occurs only when the interests of the powerful happen to converge with those of the racially oppressed” ( Abrams and Moio 2009 ; Bell 1995 ; Quinn and Grumbach 2015 , p. 6).…”

“…Several variables measured substances “drug use and sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” Drug Use was assessed using three or more recreational drugs: “Have you taken a substance such as cigarettes, ecstasy, codeine, alcohol, and marijuana in the last 30 days?” Sex while on Drugs or Alcohol was assessed using the following question: “The last time you had sexual intercourse, did you have any alcoholic drinks and/or take any drugs before having sexual intercourse?” These dichotomous (i.e., yes , or no ) variables were derived from previous studies ( Boyd et al 2021 ; Quinn et al forthcoming a ).…”

“…Despite this fact, most African American youth in the study sample did not report having sex, with only 28% reporting they engaged in sexual activity ( Christerson et al 2010 ). In a study with Black girls in a southern detention facility, scholars noted that younger girls were more likely to engage in sex if they used drugs and alcohol ( Quinn et al forthcoming a ). However, this study did not include S/R as a factor.…”

Adolescents with substance use referred to child protective services: Does substance use treatment prevent foster care entry?

“…Early initiation of substance use often leads to addiction in adulthood (Phillips et al, 2021; US Department of Health and Human Services, 2016) and is associated with other negative physical and mental health outcomes such as cancer, cardiac disorder, visual impairment, depression, and anxiety (Carrano, 2012; Hussain et al, 2023; US Department of Health and Human Services, 2022). Adolescent substance use has also been found to be associated with risky behaviours including violent or delinquent acts (Hoeben et al, 2021; Walters, 2022), riding with a driver under the influence of alcohol (Sharp et al, 2019), drunk driving (Ewing et al, 2015), weapon carrying (Baiden et al, 2021; Laufer et al, 2006), and unsafe sex (Quinn et al, 2023; Voisin et al, 2013). Therefore, it is particularly important to understand adolescent substance use, as the median age of onset for drug use has been found to be around age 15 years (Holmstedt et al, 2020; Swendsen et al, 2012).…”