We examine how heterogeneity in adolescent experiences of peer victimization impact health in adolescence and young adulthood. We include multiple indicators of mental health - internalizing symptoms (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms), externalizing symptoms (i.e., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms, and conduct problems), and substance use (i.e., smoking, heavy drinking, marijuana and illicit drug use). We also use multiple measures of physical health - subjective health (i.e., physical symptoms and physical self-concept), health-promoting behaviors (i.e., physical activity, healthy eating practices, and sleep duration and problems), and cardiometabolic risks (i.e., BMI waist circumference, and hypertension). In examining young adult health, we directly control for earlier (i.e., baseline) symptoms in order account for stability in health over time.
In the current study, we estimated trajectories of young marijuana users over a decade, i.e., from ages 15 to 28. Identification of heterogeneous trajectories of marijuana use can help distinguish between problematic and nonproblematic use patterns, identify subgroups of young people who are at increased risk for experiencing negative consequences from their use, and inform prevention efforts.