Antisocial behavior and psychoactive substance involvement among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Caucasian adolescents in substance abuse treatment

FRANÇAIS :
Dans le but d'étudier les différences ethniques des comportements problématiques avant l'entrée en traitement, 34 jeunes de 12 à 18 ans blancs non-hispaniques et 34 adolescents hispaniques abusant d'alcool et de drogues ont été comparés dans leurs caractéristiques sociodémographiques, leurs consommations de drogues et leurs troubles du comportement. Les troubles antérieurs à l'usage semblent plus présents chez les non-hispaniques. Chez les hispaniques, plus souvent impliqués dans un gang, les troubles de conduite paraissent plus liés à l'usage de substance. Ces troubles semblent prédire l'entrée dans la drogue et des symptômes de dépendance (lors du traitement) chez les adolescents hispaniques, tandis qu'ils ne prédisent rien de pareil pour les non-hispaniques. Ces résultats laissent apparaître des différences ethniques dans le développement des problèmes de comportement et de relations avec les psychotropes.
ENGLISH :
The conduct disorder behaviors and substance involvement of Hispanic (H) and non-Hispanic Caucasian (n-H) adolescents receiving treatment for alcohol and other drug abuse were compared in order to examine differences in problem behaviors prior to entering treatment. 34, 1218 year old n-H participants were socio-demographically matched to 34 H adolescent alcohol and drug abusers. Their current and lifetime substance involvement and conduct disorder behaviors were assess. NH adolescents were 3 times as likely to be diagnosed with conduct disorder prior to onset of substance involvement. H adolescents were more likely to have been involved in a gang. The conduct disorder behaviors of H adolescents were more highly correlated with their substance involvement. Conduct disorder behaviors were predictive of drug involvement and dependence symptoms at the time of treatment entry for H teens. Results suggest ethnic differences in involvement among adolescents in treatment for substance abuse, and suggest different etiologic pathways to alcohol and drug abuse across ethnic groups. (From authors'abstract)