What effect does caseworker listening have on inhalant use?

Adolescent inhalant use is a serious public health problem among maltreated youth. Examples of inhalants include glue, paint, gasoline, solvents, whipped cream dispensers, and nail polish remover (Johnston et al., 2015; NIDA,... [ view full abstract ]

Adolescent inhalant use is a serious public health problem among maltreated youth. Examples of inhalants include glue, paint, gasoline, solvents, whipped cream dispensers, and nail polish remover (Johnston et al., 2015; NIDA, 2012a, 2012b). This study investigates whether children’s perceptions of caseworker support (e.g. feeling listened to) influences inhalant use after controlling for other variables associated with use.  Relying on data collected for the Second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II), this research measures how often children (ages 11-17) felt listened to by their caseworkers and the effect on the relationship between maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect) and inhalant use.  Binary logistic regressions were conducted using a measure of the frequency of caseworker listening to predict whether children had previously used inhalants.  The study found a negative relationship between caseworker listening and inhalant use. Youth who reported lower levels of caseworker listening were 39% more likely to use inhalants. In addition, as reports of deviant peer affiliation increased youth were more 18% likely to use inhalants. Differences were not found based on sex, race, the type of maltreatment experienced, or whether youth lived in out-of-home care.  This study’s findings have important implications for practice. Youths’ perceptions of support from caseworkers may influence inhalant use.  Furthermore, these findings underscore the need for interventions to improve caseworker-child relationships. Findings demonstrate the important role caseworker support plays in deterring inhalant use among child welfare involved-youth.