Grit-related profiles predict polysubstance use in youth with a history of childhood maltreatment

Abstract

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a significant impediment to normative developmental trajectories and consistently predicts increased risk for a range of adverse outcomes, including substance misuse and polysubstance use (polySU). Yet, a subset of individuals who experience CM exhibit successful adaptations across the lifespan. Though there is an expansive literature on social, emotional, and cognitive protective factors that mitigate impacts of CM, less is known about non-social and non-cognitive protective factors such as ‘grit’ (i.e., determination to achieve long-term goals). Grit has been shown to predict adaptive functioning in a variety of domains. Using a person-centered statistical approach (i.e., latent profile analysis), we examined heterogeneity in grit in maltreated youth from the LONGSCAN sample as it related to maltreatment characteristics and substance use (SU) patterns during adolescence. We uncovered 3 latent profiles based on participants’ grit-related traits (i.e., Low Grit, Average Grit, and High Grit). Those in the High Grit profile were least likely to engage in polySU during adolescence. These findings highlight the promise of grit as a protective factor against polySU following CM and one that is not necessarily contingent upon environmental supports and/or cognitive ability. As such, this work represents a promising avenue for future preventative intervention efforts.