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There is a Link Between Parental Beliefs and Prescription Drug Abuse Among Teens According to the Latest Study

parental beliefs, prescription drug abuse among teens

Prescription drug abuse among teens is at an all time high, and anew research study shows that there is a link between this activity and parental beliefs. The researchers involved in the study believe that this link helps to explain disparities in prescription drug abuse among teens when it comes to ethnic and racial variations. Caucasian teens are the most likely to abuse prescription medications, and the study included over 18,000 teens making it noteworthy. According to the study authors Brigid M. Conn, M.A., and Amy K. Marks, Ph.D “Our findings add support to growing evidence that parents continue to remain a vital part of adolescents’ decision-making, particularly regarding potentially risky behaviors. Misuse and abuse of prescription drugs is one of the fastest growing drug epidemics in the United States.”

The study took place at Suffolk University in Boston, MA, and it was published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. Study results showed that 3.4% of Caucasian teens abused tranquilizers while less than 1% of African Americans abused this type of drug, and 2.9% of the Hispanic teen population engaged in this type of substance abuse. According to study author Amy K. Marks, Ph.D “No matter what the ethnic/racial background of the family, parents’ disapproving attitudes about misusing substances in general — whether alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco — play a strong role in protecting their adolescents from misusing prescription medicine. Parents can also help their adolescents navigate toward friends with shared substance use disapproval attitudes. We’re already working on new studies to understand some of the unique socializing factors or agents which seem to be protective for Hispanic and African-American adolescents, beyond parental disapproval.”

 

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