Abstract
Background: This study aims to identify the association between parenting styles and behavioral changes among adolescents regarding the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine/crack. Methods: A group of ninety-nine adolescents (39 girls and 60 boys), aged 14 to 19 years (17.05 ± 1.51), who called in to a call center that provides counseling to substance users, was followed-up for 30 days. Data collection occurred between March 2009 and October 2015. The adolescents answered questions regarding parental responsiveness and demanding nature on a scale to assess parental styles and provided sociodemographic data, substance abuse consumption characteristics, and the Contemplation Ladder scale score. Results: The parental styles most reported by the adolescents were authoritative (30%) and indulgent (28%). Children who perceived their mothers as having an indulgent style and who had absent fathers presented more difficulties in making behavioral changes to avoid alcohol and cocaine/crack consumption. Conclusion: The study found that parent-child relationships were associated with a lack of change in the adolescent regarding substance use behavior, particularly the consumption of alcohol and cocaine/crack.
Highlights
Substance use among adolescents is a worldwide health issue [1]
The sample consisted of 99 adolescents between 14 and 19 years of age, of whom 60.6% were boys, 44.3% were students, 49.5% had nine or more years of education, and 60.4% were in a household with an income lower than 1 and a half minimum wage (Brazilian real)
Our results show that authoritative mothers seem to be a positive factor for stopping or reducing alcohol use by their children, while indulgent mothers seem to act as hurdles for decreasing drug abuse behaviors of their progeny
Summary
Substance use among adolescents is a worldwide health issue [1]. In Brazil, the magnitude of the occurrence of this consumption among teenagers is mainly shown in epidemiological studies [2,3].National surveys on the use of drugs by students in 2004 and 2010, carried out by the Brazilian Center for Information on Psychotropic Drugs (CEBRID), showed a significant increase in the use of illicit drugs and a worrisome prevalence at an early age [2]. Socioeconomic inequalities in Brazil have been associated with substance use among adolescents, where the higher risk of abuse and dependence are evidenced in less favored socioeconomic classes [1]. These data are worrisome, as early adolescent drug use dramatically increases the risk of lifelong substance use disorder (SUD), interferes with ongoing neurodevelopment, and may induce neurobiological changes that further augment SUD risk [5]. Conclusion: The study found that parent-child relationships were associated with a lack of change in the adolescent regarding substance use behavior, the consumption of alcohol and cocaine/crack
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