Depression and Substance Use as Consequences of Exposure to Family Violence: A Moderation Mediation and Self-Medication Hypothesis Study.

Ample evidence exists suggesting that exposure to family violence leads to substance use and this relationship is moderated by gender; however, much is still unknown of the underlying mechanism of this relationship. Thus, the current study first examined whether exposure to family violence was associated with substance use. Then consistent with the self-medication hypothesis, we tested whether depressive symptoms mediated the relations between exposure to family violence and substance use. Finally, we examined the moderating effect of gender on the relationships among exposure to family violence and depressive symptoms/substance use (N = 1,850). Results suggest that exposure to family violence positively associated with substance use. Mediation results revealed that depressive symptoms explained the relationship between exposure to family violence and substance use. Moderation results indicated that males who were exposed to family violence were more likely to endorse depressive symptoms and more likely to use substances while controlling for sibling aggression victimization. This study provides new insight into the internalizing and externalizing symptoms of exposure to family violence, specifically for male adolescents. Implications are discussed.

Examining the relationships between cyberbullying, relational victimization, and family support on depressive symptoms and substance use among adolescents.

The present study examined whether cyberbullying, relational victimization, and family support were associated with depressive symptoms and substance use among adolescents (N = 1232). A path analysis revealed that cyberbullying, relational victimization, and family support were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Also, cyberbullying and relational victimization was positively related to substance use, whereas family support was not statistically predictive of substance use. This study highlights preventive interventions for cyberbullying, relational victimization, and family support in schools and families.

Does Conduct, Oppositional Defiant, and Panic Disorder Symptoms Associate with Suicidal Ideations Among African American Adolescents?

Previous studies suggest that mental illness symptoms among adolescents, such as conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and panic disorder symptoms often associate with suicidal ideations. Despite this, few studies have examined whether these mental illness symptoms associate with suicidal ideations among African American adolescents. To address these limitations, the current study examined whether conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and panic disorder symptoms associated with suicidal ideations (N = 261). Using binominal logistic regression, results suggest that conduct disorder symptoms were associated with a higher likelihood of endorsing suicidal ideations than oppositional defiant disorder symptoms. Finally, panic disorder symptoms and gender differences were not associated with suicidal ideations. Preventive efforts and psychotherapy implications are discussed.