The Role of Teacher Social-Emotional Support in the Prevention of Adolescent ATOD Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic

We studied alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATOD) among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, hypothesizing that social-emotional support from teachers during the pandemic would lessen adolescent-reported use of ATOD in the last 30 days. A sample of 3,086 high school youth (51% girls; 45% youth of color) from seven U.S. communities participated in an anonymous online survey between March 2021 and July 2021. Data were analyzed using logistic regressions and structural equation modeling. Teacher social-emotional support predicted greater perceived risk from using ATOD (OR = 1.36-1.73), less 30-day ATOD use (OR = .65-.84), and greater perceived school cultural responsiveness, adolescent social-emotional competencies, and adolescent use of positive coping strategies. Social-emotional support from teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly related to students perceiving greater risk from using ATOD and reporting more social-emotional competence, which in turn contributed to less ATOD use in the last 30 days. School policies and practices that strengthen student-teacher relationships can help mitigate adolescent ATOD use.