Perceived support, substance use, suicidal ideation, and psychological distress among military-connected adolescents

Abstract

abstractMilitary-connected adolescents may be at increased risk for poor behavioral health outcomes related to the stressors of war. This study examined the co-occurrence of substance use and mental health problems among military-connected youth compared to their non-military-connected counterparts. Data from youth in ninth- and eleventh-grade classes in six military-connected school districts completed the California Healthy Kids Survey in 2011 (n = 9,122). Latent class analysis was utilized to examine co-occurring substance use and mental health issues. Military connection (parent, sibling, or none) and five measures of perceptions of school and community support were included in the model. The analysis revealed four different groups. As the probability of co-occurrence increased, the chance that youth had a sibling serving and that they perceived lower support from the military and other military families increased. These findings support a need for additional research on the adolescent siblings of military service persons. Clinicians should add questions to ascertain close family member service and screening for co-occurring substance use and mental health to their standards of practice related to working with military connected youth.