The problem of substance use in adolescence continues to grow despite large-scale public health efforts to reduce both its incidence and prevalence. This is particularly troublesome given that adolescent substance use and especially misuse often signals future impairments in physical health and mental health, as well as social and occupational functioning. To enhance prevention efforts, theorists have attempted to understand factors that contribute to the etiology and maintenance of substance misuse. Two variables that may be especially related to the initiation of adolescent substance use and the subsequent development of substance misuse are negative emotional states and avoidant coping behavior. Considering these variables together, researchers in the adult substance use literature have begun to utilize behavioral measures of distress tolerance to assess one's ability to persist in goal directed behavior in the presence of intense emotional discomfort, or simply, ones ability to effectively cope with emotional distress. Specifically, distress tolerance is assessed with computerized laboratory measures in which participants engage in a challenging task that increases in difficulty until success on the task is virtually impossible, at which point their continued persistence on the task is measured. Studies utilizing adult samples have consistently demonstrated a relationship between low levels of distress tolerance and increased substance use, shorter durations of smoking cessation attempts, shorter durations of illicit drug use abstinence attempts, and increased dropout rates from residential drug treatment. However, no such work has been conducted with adolescents. Given the link between early use and later problems as well as the fact that prevention efforts are likely to be more effective in limiting negative consequences than treatment efforts once abuse and dependence have occurred, there is great potential public health relevance in examining the link between distress tolerance and substance use in adolescents. Thus, we propose to examine 148 10th graders (15-16 year olds) in a cross-sectional evaluation to test the extent to which distress tolerance is related to frequency of current substance use. In addition, we will examine the uniqueness of distress tolerance in predicting frequency of substance use when accounting for other theoretically relevant risk and resiliency factors. Finally, we will examine the potential moderating role of substance use expectancies, race, and gender in the relationship between distress tolerance and substance use. We propose to examine 148 10th graders (15-16 year olds) in a cross-sectional evaluation to test the extent to which distress tolerance is related to frequency of current substance use. In addition, we will examine the uniqueness of distress tolerance in predicting frequency of substance use when accounting for other theoretically relevant risk and resiliency factors. Finally, we will examine the potential moderating role of substance use expectancies, race, and gender in the relationship between distress tolerance and substance use. ? ? ?
