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Equipping maltreated adolescents with more effective coping skills for managing their difficult feelings could be vital for reducing problematic substance use.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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Adolescents who use alcohol and drugs as form of escapism from their difficult situations face an increased risk of developing problematic substance use in the future.

This is according to a new study by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Psychology Department titled - Coping Motives as a Mediator of the Relationship between Child Maltreatment and Substance use Problems in South African Adolescents.

The study was conducted in several Cape Town schools by Psychology Masters student Ayesha Assim and Associate Professor Debbie Kaminer, in collaboration with researchers at the Universities of Exeter and Stellenbosch, and involved 688 high school learners, aged 13 to 18 years.

“Understanding how and why experiences of child abuse result in a higher likelihood of misusing substances is critical for developing early, targeted interventions to improve long-term outcomes for maltreated youth,” Kaminer said.

The researchers gathered information on experiences of childhood maltreatment, alcohol and marijuana use, motives for this use, and problematic behaviours arising from this use.

They found that among the 26% of participants who reported using alcohol and the 20% who reported using marijuana, a history of childhood maltreatment significantly predicted the severity of substance-related problems.

“Moreover, the use of coping motives explained a significant portion of this relationship,” they found.

Past studies have found that young adults who endured childhood maltreatment were more prone to abusing substances when the motive for the use of alcohol or drugs was to escape their difficult situations, believing that substances will help them to cope with feelings of anxiety, depression, or distress.

By contrast, those who use substances for socialising, pleasure, or conforming to peer pressure face lower risks of developing problematic patterns of use. Until now, it has been unclear just how early this risk pathway begins, as the dangers posed by coping motives compared with other substance use motives have seldom been investigated in adolescents.

“This is a critical gap in our understanding, as the earlier that interventions to address substance abuse can be put in place, the better the long-term outcomes will be.”

Kaminer said that adolescents who have suffered abuse were more likely to struggle with feelings of anxiety, depression and distress than other teens.

“But, at the same time they are less likely to have developed effective coping strategies for dealing with these emotions, due to poor role modelling and lack of emotional responsiveness from parents,” she said.

“As a result, they are more likely than non-abused adolescents to turn to substances to manage their negative feelings. Unfortunately, using substances to cope is likely to increase problems in living, thereby exacerbating feelings of distress and creating a vicious cycle.”

The study also found that using alcohol or marijuana to conform with peers also played some role in increasing risk for problematic alcohol use, although less so than coping motives.

"These findings highlight the critical importance of understanding the underlying motives behind substance use among adolescents who have experienced childhood maltreatment," Kaminer added.

“By identifying coping motives and, to a lesser extent, conformity motives as key mediators, we can better target interventions that address these underlying psychological drivers."

The implications of this study extend beyond academic research, suggesting practical applications for public health and psychoeducational initiatives aimed at preventing substance misuse among vulnerable youth populations.

“The study findings clearly demonstrate that equipping maltreated adolescents with more effective coping skills for managing their difficult feelings could be vital for reducing problematic substance use,” Kaminer said.

She said that investing in early intervention programmes could bring long-term health and mental health benefits for the well-being of youth who have suffered maltreatment.