Adolescence is a time of great growth and experimentation for individuals which can further shape their personality and behaviors, including substance use. Substance use during adolescents is a major public health concern which has led researchers to investigate potential provoking factors for this behavior. There are many factors that can influence individuals during adolescence. In particular, parental substance use may be an influence on adolescent substance use and studies have shown that parental substance use disorder increases offspring’s risk of developing a substance use disorder. This study examines that potential link between parental substance use and adolescent substance use through Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking-Positive Urgency (UPPS-P) impulsive personality traits.

              The study’s sample consisted of 392 adolescents and their parents from the third generation of a multigenerational longitudinal study of family substance use disorder. Adolescents were included if they were between the ages of 13 and 19 at the time of the study. Participants were asked to report their sex, race/ethnicity, parental and adolescent substance use (cannabis and alcohol), and impulsive personality traits via the UPPS-R-C scale. Data was analyzed using two longitudinal path models utilizing Robust Maximum Likelihood estimation (MLR).

              Results of the data analysis showed that having a history of parental substance use was associated with increased levels of lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, positive urgency, and negative urgency. Sensation seeking was not associated with parental substance use. Negative urgency mediated the effect of parental substance use on adolescent alcohol and cannabis use disorder as well as the frequency of cannabis use in adolescents. Lack of premeditation mediated the effect of parental substance use on frequency of alcohol use in adolescents. 

Takeaway: Parental substance use may provide predictive value in assessing likelihood of adolescent cannabis and alcohol use and this association may be mediated by impulse personality traits.

Waddell, J.T., Elam, K.K., Chassin, L. Multidimensional Impulsive Personality Traits Mediate the Effect of Parent Substance Use Disorder on Adolescent Alcohol and Cannabis Use . Journal of Youth & Adolescence. 2022;10.1007/s10964-021-01556-3. doi:10.1007/s10964-021-01556-3