Emotional Problems Predicted Which Justice-Involved Teens Started Using Cannabis
Among 391 first-time justice-involved youth, affect dysregulation, internalizing symptoms, and positive cannabis expectations independently predicted cannabis initiation in the year following first court contact.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Of 391 first-time justice-involved youth, 48.1% had lifetime cannabis use and 14.8% initiated during 12-month follow-up. In multivariable analyses, affect dysregulation, internalizing symptoms, and positive cannabis expectancies independently predicted new cannabis initiation, while greater self-control and self-concept were protective.
Key Numbers
391 youth; 56.9% male; mean age 14.6; 48.1% lifetime cannabis use; 14.8% initiated during follow-up; affect dysregulation, internalizing symptoms, and positive cannabis expectancies predicted initiation; self-control and self-concept were protective.
How They Did This
Prospective cohort of 391 first-time justice-involved youth (56.9% male, mean age 14.6) and caregivers assessed at baseline and every 4 months for 12 months, using multivariable Poisson regression and survival analysis.
Why This Research Matters
First contact with the justice system represents a unique intervention window. Identifying which youth are most likely to start using cannabis can guide targeted prevention efforts during this critical period.
The Bigger Picture
The finding that emotional regulation difficulties and internalizing symptoms predict cannabis initiation suggests these youth may be self-medicating, and interventions targeting emotional coping skills could prevent cannabis use more effectively than punitive approaches.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
First-time justice-involved youth may not represent all adolescents; relatively low initiation rate (14.8%) limits statistical power for subgroup analyses; self-reported cannabis use.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would emotion regulation interventions at first court contact reduce cannabis initiation?
- ?Do positive cannabis expectancies respond to targeted educational approaches?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Affect dysregulation and internalizing symptoms independently predicted cannabis initiation in justice-involved youth
- Evidence Grade:
- Prospective design with multiple follow-up assessments and multivariable analysis, limited by sample specificity.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021 with 12-month follow-up.
- Original Title:
- Predictors of cannabis use among first-time justice-involved youth: A cohort study.
- Published In:
- Drug and alcohol dependence, 225, 108754 (2021)
- Authors:
- Tolou-Shams, Marina(3), Folk, Johanna B, Marshall, Brandon D L(4), Dauria, Emily F, Kemp, Kathleen, Li, Yu, Koinis-Mitchell, Daphne, Brown, Larry K
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03577
Evidence Hierarchy
Enrolls participants and follows them forward in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What predicts which teenagers start using cannabis?
Among first-time justice-involved youth, emotional regulation difficulties, internalizing symptoms (like anxiety and depression), and believing cannabis will have positive effects predicted starting to use cannabis. Higher self-control and better self-concept were protective.
Is there a window to prevent cannabis use in these teens?
Yes. The period after first court contact represents a unique opportunity for intervention, and this study identified specific targets (emotion regulation, cannabis expectations) that could be addressed through brief interventions.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03577APA
Tolou-Shams, Marina; Folk, Johanna B; Marshall, Brandon D L; Dauria, Emily F; Kemp, Kathleen; Li, Yu; Koinis-Mitchell, Daphne; Brown, Larry K. (2021). Predictors of cannabis use among first-time justice-involved youth: A cohort study.. Drug and alcohol dependence, 225, 108754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108754
MLA
Tolou-Shams, Marina, et al. "Predictors of cannabis use among first-time justice-involved youth: A cohort study.." Drug and alcohol dependence, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108754
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Predictors of cannabis use among first-time justice-involved..." RTHC-03577. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/tolou-shams-2021-predictors-of-cannabis-use
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.