Family Risk and Protective Influences on Adolescent Substance Use in Global Context

Adolescent substance use is prevalent in different forms across the globe and is a widespread public health concern. Among the many factors that play a role in adolescent substance use, the family is a powerful source of both risk and protection for youth. Indeed, there is now a cadre of family-focused prevention programs that have been shown to effectively prevent adolescent substance use and its well-documented adverse consequences. However, many of these programs have been developed in high-income country contexts with unknown effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries, and few are widely disseminated. This chapter highlights global trends in adolescent substance use. Cultural variations in risk and protective factors also are reviewed, with a particular focus on the socializing influences of diverse families. Family-focused prevention programs are illustrated, and recommendations for next steps in research and practice are offered to help youth avoid substance use and promote their health worldwide.