A new study based on data tracking hundreds of Philadelphia youth over more than a half-dozen years has detailed the complex pathway connecting impulsivity, alcohol use, and antisocial behaviour.
“Kids with impulse control problems are at risk for a variety of adverse outcomes, such as drug use, acting-out behaviour, and antisocial behaviour,” said study co-author Dan Romer, research director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. “What we’ve found is that you’ve got to start mitigating impulsivity before it starts influencing behaviors that lead to substance use and antisocial behavior disorders. Once adolescents are on a trajectory of engaging in those behaviors, it may become more difficult to prevent disorders later in adolescence than it is to treat impulsivity itself.”The open-access study, published this week in the Journal of Adolescent Health, was conducted by researchers from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC), University of Amsterdam, University of Oregon, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.