Psychosocial Correlates of Adolescent Substance Use: A Review of Current Etiological Constructs

Abstract

This article reviews psychosocial correlates of adolescent substance use by focusing on the recent empirical literature. Using a tabular format, an attempt is made to provide a facile tool for referencing the literature. Examination of the literature reveals considerable diversity among explanations regarding the variance explained by many of the correlates studied. While the field strives toward a consistent theoretical base from which effective interventions may be developed, researchers must specify the nature of their study populations, designs, methodological approaches, and any issues of generalizability. Only in this way will inconsistencies in study findings be reconciled and progress toward culturally specific intervention techniques be furthered.