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Developmental Growth Trajectories of Self-Esteem in Adolescence: Associations with Child Neglect and Drug Use and Abuse in Young Adulthood

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Abstract

Neglectful rearing is linked with young adults’ substance use and abuse, though the developmental mechanisms that underlie this association are unclear. The present study examines links between self-esteem growth during adolescence, childhood supervisory versus physical neglect severity, and substance use and abuse in young adulthood. A sample of youth was obtained from the Add Health study (N = 8738; 55.4 %-Female; 20 %-African American, 14.7 %-Hispanic). Growth mixture modeling analyses supported declining, ascending, and stable high self-esteem trajectories. The declining and ascending trajectories reported greater neglect and alcohol abuse (but not use) as well as cannabis use and abuse. The findings suggest that compromised development of self-esteem underlies associations between neglect and substance use and abuse. Preventive interventions may benefit from targeting self-esteem among neglected youth.

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Acknowledgments

The first author would like to acknowledge the support obtained from the Center for Translational and Prevention Science (National Institute of Drug Abuse; P30DA027827).

Author Contributions

A.O. conceived the study, participated in data analysis and interpretation, and coordinated and drafted the manuscript; M.C. assisted with the analyses and coordination of the manuscript; J.K. participated in data analyses; A.Z. contributed to the writing of the article, reviewed, and edited it; K.W. participated in data analyses and interpretation of the data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Youth Development Lab, 208 Family Science Center (House A), 403 Sanford Drive, Athens, GA, 30602-2622, USA

    Assaf Oshri & Matthew W. Carlson

  2. Department of Human Development and Family Science, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Assaf Oshri, Matthew W. Carlson, Josephine A. Kwon & Kandauda K. A. S. Wickrama

  3. Department of Psychology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Assaf Oshri & Amos Zeichner

  4. Department of Public Health, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Assaf Oshri

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  1. Assaf Oshri
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Correspondence to Assaf Oshri.

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This research study was approved by the university institutional review board.

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All parents provided informed consent for their participation and the participation of their child during relevant waves. Adult participants in later waves of data collection provided informed consent in this study.

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Oshri, A., Carlson, M.W., Kwon, J.A. et al. Developmental Growth Trajectories of Self-Esteem in Adolescence: Associations with Child Neglect and Drug Use and Abuse in Young Adulthood. J Youth Adolescence 46, 151–164 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0483-5

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