(PS1-B41) Examining Parent-teen Acculturation Discrepancies, Substance Use, and Parental Monitoring in Hispanic Adolescents with ADHD

Much of the research on early-onset substance use and ADHD that exists today excludes minoritized populations such as the Hispanic community. Some Hispanic American adolescents face unique challenges compared to their peers that may place them at an elevated risk for substance use issues, especially in families with differences in acculturation. These difficulties may have been aggravated by the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing adolescent mental health crisis. While there is evidence that acculturation differences within parent-teen dyads may contribute to substance use risk, there has been little attention to potential mechanisms of risk. The purpose of this study was to assess whether differences in dyad acculturation may impact parental monitoring, a major protective factor against teen substance use. It was hypothesized that parent and teen dyads with similar acculturation would have stronger teen-reported parental monitoring than families with dissimilar acculturation.

            The sample for this study is a subset of participants recruited in a larger trial assessing the efficacy of substance use prevention interventions for youth with ADHD funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, R01DA034731. Eligible participants for the overall study met the following criteria: ages 12-16, DSM-5 criteria for ADHD, IQ > 79, an elevated risk for substance use disorder (SUD), and both parent and teen identified as Hispanic. Exclusions included current SUD in the severe qualifier per the DSM-5, active medical conditions exacerbated by stimulants, and a formal diagnosis of a psychotic disorder or significant intellectual or language impairment. Teens completed self-report measures of parental monitoring and knowledge (PMS), as well as disclosure ratings of how often they share information with parents (CDS). Parents and teens reported acculturation using the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale (BAS). The BAS yields acculturation scores for both Spanish and English, with higher scores indicating greater cultural adherence.

            125 eligible parent-teen dyads completed baseline ratings. Bivariate correlations indicated significant positive correlations between parent and teen English acculturation (r=.328, p< .01) as well as between parent and teen Spanish acculturation (r=.349, p< .01). There did not appear to be a significant relationship between measures of parent and teen acculturation and teen parental monitoring. To assess whether discrepancies in parent-teen acculturation might be related to parental monitoring, the dyads were classified based on match or mismatch in terms of acculturation. If parents and teens had the same pattern of English and Spanish, they were considered a match. If they had different levels in either, they were labeled as a mismatch. Results of a one-way ANOVA indicated no significant differences between groups on measures of parental monitoring. Overall, this suggests that there may not be a strong relationship between acculturation and monitoring; however, the results demonstrate variability within the Hispanic population and the need for more in-depth research with a larger sample size.