Coping dimensions, life stress, and adolescent substance use: A latent growth analysis

The relation of seven coping dimensions to substance (tobacco, alcohol, mar ijuana) use was tested with a sample of 1,668 participants assessed at mean age 12.5 years and two yearly follow-ups. An associative latent-growth mod el showed one index of engagement (behavioral coping) to be inversely relat ed to initial level of adolescent use and growth over time in peer use, Thr ee indices of disengagement (anger coping, helpless coping, and hangout cop ing) were positively related to initial levels of peer use and adolescent u se and to growth in adolescent use, Life stress was positively related to i nitial levels for peer use and adolescent use and to growth in adolescent u se. Moderation tests indicated that effects of coping were significantly gr eater at higher level of stress; behavioral coping buffered the effects of disengagement. Effects of life stress were greater for girls than for boys. Results are discussed with reference to mechanisms of coping - substance u se relationships.