Impact of problematic substance use and social anxiety on school functioning: Insights from the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network

Early onset substance use and social anxiety have both been linked to poor academic performance, but research has not considered how these issues may be related. Within the TX-YDSRN sample, this study aimed to investigate if problematic substance use is associated with poorer school functioning and how social anxiety may play a role in this relationship. Over 20% of youth had problematic substance use, mostly with alcohol and marijuana use. While problematic substance use was linked to poorer school functioning, having social anxiety did not impact that relationship. This paper shows that substance use may be an important point of intervention for youth with poor school performance.