TY - JOUR
T1 - The Role of Stress and Spirituality in Adolescent Substance Use
AU - Debnam, Katrina
AU - Milam, Adam J.
AU - Furr-Holden, C. Debra
AU - Bradshaw, Catherine
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was funded in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Education (grant number 145089) and William T. Grant Foundation (grant number 180509) awarded to Catherine Bradshaw.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2016/5/11
Y1 - 2016/5/11
N2 - Background: Substance use can occur as a result of coping with stress. Within the school context, youth are exposed to stressors related to school achievement and peer-relationships. Protective factors, such as spirituality, may moderate adolescents' engagement in substance use. Objective: The current study investigated the role of spirituality in the association between stress and substance use, in an effort to test the hypothesis that spirituality moderates the association between stress and substance use. Methods: This study used data from youth in grades 6-8 attending 40 parochial private schools. A total of 5,217 students participated in the web-based survey administered in Spring 2013. Multilevel structural equation models were used to examine the association between stress, spirituality, and substance use, while accounting for the nested nature of the data (i.e., students within schools). Results: Higher stress was significantly associated with increased alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among youth (b =.306, p <.001). In addition, lower spiritual beliefs were associated with greater substance use (b =.349, p <.001). Spiritual beliefs did not moderate the relationship between stress and substance use. Conclusions/Importance: Implications for increasing students' adaptive coping when confronted with school-related stressors and the role of school climate are discussed.
AB - Background: Substance use can occur as a result of coping with stress. Within the school context, youth are exposed to stressors related to school achievement and peer-relationships. Protective factors, such as spirituality, may moderate adolescents' engagement in substance use. Objective: The current study investigated the role of spirituality in the association between stress and substance use, in an effort to test the hypothesis that spirituality moderates the association between stress and substance use. Methods: This study used data from youth in grades 6-8 attending 40 parochial private schools. A total of 5,217 students participated in the web-based survey administered in Spring 2013. Multilevel structural equation models were used to examine the association between stress, spirituality, and substance use, while accounting for the nested nature of the data (i.e., students within schools). Results: Higher stress was significantly associated with increased alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among youth (b =.306, p <.001). In addition, lower spiritual beliefs were associated with greater substance use (b =.349, p <.001). Spiritual beliefs did not moderate the relationship between stress and substance use. Conclusions/Importance: Implications for increasing students' adaptive coping when confronted with school-related stressors and the role of school climate are discussed.
KW - adolescents
KW - Alcohol
KW - drugs
KW - spirituality
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U2 - 10.3109/10826084.2016.1155224
DO - 10.3109/10826084.2016.1155224
M3 - Article
C2 - 27070718
AN - SCOPUS:84963614787
SN - 1082-6084
VL - 51
SP - 733
EP - 741
JO - Substance Use and Misuse
JF - Substance Use and Misuse
IS - 6
ER -