TY - JOUR
T1 - Distress tolerance and early adolescent externalizing and internalizing symptoms
T2 - The moderating role of gender and ethnicity
AU - Daughters, Stacey B.
AU - Reynolds, Elizabeth K.
AU - MacPherson, Laura
AU - Kahler, Christopher W.
AU - Danielson, Carla K.
AU - Zvolensky, Michael
AU - Lejuez, C. W.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by R21 DA022741 (Dr. Daughters) and R01 DA18647 (Dr. Lejuez) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
PY - 2009/3
Y1 - 2009/3
N2 - A large body of research has examined the development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in childhood and early adolescence. Notably, there is significant concomitant impairment associated with early adolescent symptomatology, as well as association of these symptoms with future development of psychopathology, poor physical health, self-destructive thoughts and behaviors, criminal behavior, and HIV risk behaviors. Drawing on negative reinforcement theory, the current study sought to examine the potential role of distress tolerance, defined as the ability to persist in goal-directed activity while experiencing emotional distress, as a potential mechanism that may underlie both internalizing and externalizing symptoms among 231 Caucasian and African American youth (M age = 10.9 years; 45.5% female; 54.5% Caucasian ethnicity). A series of regressions resulted in significant moderated relationships, such that low distress tolerance conferred increased risk for alcohol use among Caucasians, delinquent behavior among African Americans, and internalizing symptoms among females. Clinical implications, including the potential role of negative reinforcement models in early intervention with young adolescents, are discussed.
AB - A large body of research has examined the development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in childhood and early adolescence. Notably, there is significant concomitant impairment associated with early adolescent symptomatology, as well as association of these symptoms with future development of psychopathology, poor physical health, self-destructive thoughts and behaviors, criminal behavior, and HIV risk behaviors. Drawing on negative reinforcement theory, the current study sought to examine the potential role of distress tolerance, defined as the ability to persist in goal-directed activity while experiencing emotional distress, as a potential mechanism that may underlie both internalizing and externalizing symptoms among 231 Caucasian and African American youth (M age = 10.9 years; 45.5% female; 54.5% Caucasian ethnicity). A series of regressions resulted in significant moderated relationships, such that low distress tolerance conferred increased risk for alcohol use among Caucasians, delinquent behavior among African Americans, and internalizing symptoms among females. Clinical implications, including the potential role of negative reinforcement models in early intervention with young adolescents, are discussed.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Alcohol
KW - Distress tolerance
KW - Externalizing behavior
KW - Internalizing symptoms
KW - Negative reinforcement
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=61349138147&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=61349138147&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.brat.2008.12.001
DO - 10.1016/j.brat.2008.12.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 19135649
AN - SCOPUS:61349138147
SN - 0005-7967
VL - 47
SP - 198
EP - 205
JO - Behaviour Research and Therapy
JF - Behaviour Research and Therapy
IS - 3
ER -