School Difficulties and Co-Occurring Health Risk Factors: Substance Use, Aggression, Depression, and Suicidal Behaviors

PROBLEM: Effective prevention requires understanding vulnerable populations, early signs of health risks, and the impact of social contexts. We tested a model of co-occurring mental health risks among at-risk youth experiencing school difficulties. METHODS: We analyzed data from a random sample of 336 at-risk youth, grades 9-12, who completed a comprehensive risk/protective factors assessment. FINDINGS: Simultaneously controlling for correlations among health risks, we observed systematic associations among risk factors, with generally consistent patterns for males and females. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the importance of developing interventions that incorporate contextual influences and of identifying common adaptable strategies for attenuating co-occurring health risks for at-risk youth.