Among the prominent risk factors for alcohol and drug abuse in adolescence, co-occurring psychopathology has received particular attention (Cicchetti & Luthar, 1999; Cicchetti & Rogosch, 1999; Oshri, Tubman, Wagner, Leon-Morris, & Snyders, 2008; Weinberg, Radhert, Colliver, & Glantz, 1999). Disruptive behavior problems, including conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, are routinely identified as major contributors to adolescent substance use. Costello (2007) provided an overview of several large-scale epidemiological studies examining linkages of various forms of psychopathology to substance abuse and dependence in adolescence and early adulthood, and concluded that a wealth of prospective data demonstrates that conduct problems precede drug use and abuse. In particular, Fergusson, Horwood, and Ritter (2007) demonstrated that conduct problems at age 7 to 9 predict cannabis and other illicit drug use and abuse at ages 18, 21, and 25. It is interesting that the influence of attention problems disappeared when comorbid conduct problems were controlled.
