Projects

Better parenting can promote healthy youth adjustment, but we know far less about how and why than is commonly understood. We believe new ideas, methods, and evidence are needed to yield breakthroughs. Some avenues we are exploring include developing explicit and falsifiable causal theories, new systems for measuring parenting in vivo, and new techniques for estimating the effects of parenting in non-experimental designs

Some of our papers on this topic:

Theory for how parental monitoring changes youth behavior

How does parental monitoring reduce adolescent substance use? preliminary tests of two potential mechanisms

Digital location tracking of children and adolescents: a review and theoretical model

Heavy, high-risk drinking drug use during adolescence conveys short-term risks and long-term consequences. We are exploring the extent to which substance use outcomes can be predicted in existing national, longitudinal datasets. Our central goal is to develop brief, practical screening instruments that can be completed by youth who have never tried alcohol or drugs yet will accurately predict their long-term risk of escalation to heavy, high-risk substance use patterns. If successful, these instruments could be used for targeted prevention programs and triage.

Some of our papers on this topic:

Validating a brief screening measure for early-onset substance use during adolescence in a diverse, nationwide birth cohort

Our research explores the intersection of substance use and trauma exposure among adolescents, a demographic often overlooked in traditional models developed for adults. While numerous studies have explored the co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUD) in adults, there is a significant gap in how these theories apply to adolescents. We aim to challenge and expand these existing frameworks to better understand the unique ways in which trauma and substance use interact over the course of development. Our project focuses on revising and refining theories to more accurately reflect adolescent experiences, thereby improving intervention and prevention strategies. 

Some of our papers on this topic:

Do traumatic events and substance use co-occur during adolescence? Testing three causal etiologic hypotheses

Increased prevalence of childhood adversity in comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders compared to either disorder alone: a systematic review 

Our research explores the developmental pathways to youth externalizing through the lens of affective (i.e., emotional) traits or problems. In particular, we explore the underlying causes of affective problems specific to callous-unemotional (CU) traits and irritability and their roles in the development of serious conduct problems, including juvenile delinquency and substance misuse. This research integrates aspects of parenting, trauma exposure, and neural processing to understand how such clinical profiles come about.  

Some of our papers on this topic:

Can callous-unemotional (CU) traits be acquired? Tests in a longitudinal sample