Temperamental characteristics of adolescents with substance abuse and/or dependence: A case–control study

This study examines reactive and self-regulatory temperament in 34 clinically referred adolescents with substance abuse and/or dependence and 34 matched controls between the ages of 14 and 18 years. Results indicated that the clinical group reported lower levels of positive affectivity and effortful control, and higher levels of sad negative affectivity, compared to the control group. Low positive affectivity and low effortful control were the most important temperament dimensions in predicting clinical substance use. These results highlight the role of both affective reactive and self-regulatory temperament dimensions in youngsters with problematic substance use.