ERIC Number: EJ869726
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Aug
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0140-1971
EISSN: N/A
Activity Spaces and Urban Adolescent Substance Use and Emotional Health
Mason, Michael J.; Korpela, Kalevi
Journal of Adolescence, v32 n4 p925-939 Aug 2009
This study analyzed routine locations (activity spaces) of urban adolescents enrolled in a substance abuse treatment program to understand the relationship between their spatial lives and health outcomes such as substance use and mental health. Sixty-eight adolescents were interviewed and produced a list of 199 locations identified as most important, safe, and risky. A TwoStep Cluster analysis resulted in two mutually exclusive groups of adolescents (n = 58). Clusterwise importance analyses showed that sex, distress, anxiety, emotional problems, and drug use significantly distinguish clusters from each other. An important finding was that activity spaces vary according to the frequency of substance use and the amount of emotional problems. School was frequently perceived as a risky place--followed by friend's house and nature--for those who used alcohol and marijuana more frequently and had more emotional distress. The intersection between environment, emotion regulation, and health outcomes is discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Emotional Problems, Substance Abuse, Mental Health, Drug Use, Adolescents, Multivariate Analysis, Urban Areas, Drug Rehabilitation, Interviews, Risk, Safety, Gender Differences, Anxiety, Educational Environment, Friendship, Therapy, Self Control
Elsevier. 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800. Tel: 877-839-7126; Tel: 407-345-4020; Fax: 407-363-1354; e-mail: usjcs@elsevier.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2131
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A