Relations between Positive Temperament, Substance Use, and Internalizing Problems among Adolescents and Young Adults with and without Medical Conditions.

For healthy AYAs, high intensity pleasure was positively associated with drug and alcohol use problems and positive affect was negatively associated with drug use problems. Among AYAs with medical conditions, high intensity pleasure was positively associated with alcohol use problems. Positive affect was negatively associated with internalizing problems for both groups. Conclusions/Importance: Findings identify paths between components of temperament and substance use and internalizing problems that may inform prevention and intervention efforts tailored to the unique and overlapping needs of AYAs with a range of healthcare demands.