Psychopathology in adolescence predicts substance use in young adulthood

Aims. To investigate prospective associations between psychopathology in adolescence and tobacco, alcohol and drug use in young adulthood. Design. A sample of 787 10-14-year-olds from the Dutch general population was prospectively followed-up across an 8-year interval. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was administered at initial assessment, and at 2- and 4-year follow-ups. Substance abuse was assessed with the Young Adult Self-Report (YASR) at 8-year follow-up. Findings. The Thought Problems scale of the CBCL was the strongest predictor of alcohol use, while smoking was predicted by the Thought Problems and Delinquent Behavior scales. The strongest association with drug use in young adulthood was for the CBCL Delinquent Behavior scale. Predictive value of predictors in early adolescence was as important as in late adolescence. Conclusion. To investigate pathways towards substance use in young adulthood, studies assessing a broad range of possible predictors, including Thought Problems, at different developmental stages of adolescence, are needed.