To investigate mediation, we used SEM to examine the relationships maternal and paternal problematic substance use, parental monitoring, maternal and paternal closeness, and adolescent lifetime substance use. To provide a more conservative test of the relationship between parental problematic substance use and adolescent substance use, as mediated by parental monitoring and closeness, we also included direct paths from parental problematic substance use to adolescent substance use (see Fig. 1). As mentioned above, this first model did not take into account any potential gender, racial/ethnic, or living arrangement differences. This model fit the data well (WRMR = .152). As shown by the standardized path coefficients for this model (Table 3), paternal problematic substance use was positively associated with adolescent lifetime alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, ecstasy, and prescription drug use, and negatively associated with parental monitoring and closeness. Paternal closeness was unrelated to any of the substances. Maternal problematic substance use was positively associated with lifetime alcohol, cigarette, and prescription drug use, as well as decreased closeness. Maternal closeness was negatively related to alcohol use. Parental monitoring was associated with a decreased likelihood of all types of substance use except ecstasy.
