Declines in prevalence of adolescent substance use disorders and delinquent behaviors in the USA: a unitary trend?

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Downward trends in a number of adolescent risk behaviors including violence, crime, and drug use have been observed in the USA in recent years. It is unknown whether these are separate trends or whether they might relate to a general reduction in propensity to engage in such behaviors. Our objectives were to quantify trends in substance use disorders (SUDs) and delinquent behaviors over the 2003-2014 period and to determine whether they might reflect a single trend in an Externalizing-like trait. METHODS:We analyzed data from 12 to 17 year old participants from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a representative survey of the household dwelling population of the USA, across the 2003-2014 period (N = 210 599). Outcomes included past-year prevalence of six categories of s

SUBMITTER: Grucza RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6217939 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature