Although social withdraw may delay the onset of substance use, it is not likely to decrease the overall risk for substance involvement by late adolescence. Motivated, distressed youth are indeed likely to find avenues for accessing and using substances. This may be particularly true for socially withdrawn COAs who have easier access to alcohol in the home. Consistent with this hypothesis, COAs report drinking alone more frequently than do their peers (Chalder, Elgar, & Bennett, 2006). Adolescents who drink alone may indeed eventually show increased risk for Negative Affect SUDs as drinking alone in adolescence may well be associated with the motive of self-medication, or drinking to relieve stress, and with a greater risk for alcohol-related problems (Cooper, 1994; Cooper, Russell, Skinner, & Windle, 1992).
