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This study examined whether transitions in self-management skills were associated with change in gateway substance use (alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana) from early to mid-adolescence, using a latent growth framework for data analysis. The sample consisted of predominantly white, suburban, and middle-class students (N=2,277) attending 22 middle schools who were followed-up annually from the 7th through 10th grades. Findings indicated that substance use increased in a steady fashion, whereas change in self-management skills (represented by a latent construct with indicators of decision-making, problem solving, self-reinforcement, and self control skills) was relatively flat with a gradual decline over time. A conditioned growth model indicated that early levels of substance use increased the decline in self-management skills over time. Early self-management skills, on the other hand, were protective and slowed growth in substance use. Relations between the two slope growth factors indicated that increases in substance use over time were associated with parallel decreases in self-management skills. Receiving higher grades in school was protective and downwardly influenced growth in substance use, whereas being male was associated with a greater decline in self-management skills. These findings support the utility of prevention programs emphasizing self-management skills training as an effective deterrent to early-stage substance use.
