Constructive thinking in adolescents with substance use disorders

This study examined the concurrent validity and clinical correlates of the Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI), a measure of experiential coping, in 551 adolescents aged 14-18 years with and without Diagnostic and Statistic al Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1 994) substance use disorders (SUDs). The CTI was correlated with depression , anxiety, and conduct problems, After controlling for demographics and com orbid lifetime psychiatric disorders, the CTI scales of Behavioral Coping a nd Categorical Thinking distinguished adolescents with and without SUDs. Im plications of these findings for assessment and treatment are discussed.