Exploratory Model of Substance Use Among Asian American Women: The Role of Depression, Coping, Peer Use and Asian Values

• NCJ Number: 238267
• Journal: Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 10 Issue: 4 Dated: October-December 2011 Pages: 295-315
• Author(s): Derek Iwamoto; William Ming Liu; Thomasin E. McCoy
• Date Published: December 2011
• Length: 21 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01-DA018730
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study explored the relationship among Asian values, depressive symptoms, perceived peer substance use, coping strategies, and substance use among 167 Asian American college women.

Abstract

This study explored the relationship among Asian values, depressive symptoms, perceived peer substance use, coping strategies, and substance use among 167 Asian American college women. More than 66 percent of the women in this sample scored higher than the clinical cutoff score on the Center of Epidemiological Depression Scale. Three path analyses examining illicit drugs, alcohol use, and binge drinking indicated that perceived peer use was the most robust predictor of substance use. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with illicit drug use and alcohol consumption but were not related to binge drinking. Asian values and coping strategies were not predictive of substance use. Additional analysis revealed that avoidant coping was a strong predictor of depressive symptoms. (Published Abstract)