The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine
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A pilot, convenience sample survey in 2003 revealed increased risk for previous-year use of crystal methamphetamine (odds ratio [OR] = 26.28), ecstasy (OR = 3.29), and ketamine (OR = 8.26) among the 2.5% of 590 students, mostly girls, who self-identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Targeted research and interventions may be warranted.
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Alcohol is the most common and frequently used drug and has the potential to cause multiple deleterious effects throughout the lifespan. Because early age at initiation of alcohol use increases this potential and programs and laws are in place to attempt to delay the onset of alcohol use, we studied the relationship between multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and both the likelihood of ever drinking and the age at initiating alcohol use. ⋯ Adverse childhood experiences are strongly related to ever drinking alcohol and to alcohol initiation in early and mid adolescence, and the ACE score had a graded or "dose-response" relationship to these alcohol use behaviors. The persistent graded relationship between the ACE score and initiation of alcohol use by age 14 for four successive birth cohorts dating back to 1900 suggests that the stressful effects of ACEs transcend secular changes, including the increased availability of alcohol, alcohol advertising, and the recent campaigns and health education programs to prevent alcohol use. These findings strongly suggest that efforts to delay the age of onset of drinking must recognize the contribution of multiple traumatic and stressful events to alcohol-seeking behavior among children and adolescents.
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To investigate age and gender effects on perceived interpersonal stress, coping with interpersonal stressors, and psychological adjustment among early and middle adolescents. Furthermore, the associations of perceived stress and coping with adjustment were examined. ⋯ Evaluating multidimensional coping patterns is supported. Particularly, implementation of primary preventive programs during late childhood is suggested.