Psychosocial Adjustment and Self-Reported Patterns of Alcohol Use among Hispanic Adolescents

Abstract

There is growing evidence that a host of factors, commonly referred to as protective resources, can serve to mediate patterns of alcohol use commonly found in at-risk groups. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of two protective resources-(a) self-concept and (b) attitudes pertaining to the benefits of alcohol-to differentiate between self-reported alcohol users and nonusers in a sample of Hispanic junior high school students (N = 207). Generally, the results revealed that Hispanic adolescents with more positive self-concepts were less likely to use alcohol or to have friends who use alcohol. The number of benefits ascribed to alcohol was found to vary by grade level and to be positively linked with using alcohol or associating with peers who use alcohol. The importance of prevention and intervention programs at the junior high school level or earlier is discussed