Children with co-occurring persistent pain and mental health symptoms face higher risk for early substance use, but the strongest predictors of whether a child starts using alcohol, tobacco or cannabis by age 14 are family environment and peer influence, a new University of Michigan study found.
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on Drug Abuse, analyzed five years of data from the federally funded Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study.
Researchers from the U-M School of Nursing and Michigan Medicine found that children experiencing co-occurring symptoms, such as persistent or worsening pain, anxiety and depression, were 40% more likely to initiate use of alcohol, tobacco or marijuana during early adolescence. However, the association between symptoms and use was dampened when the effect of parent rules, monitoring and peer behaviors were considered. Learn more about the study.