Does Birth Order Have an Effect on Likelihood for Substance Abuse?

Understanding what conditions lead to substance abuse is essential to preventing dangerous addictions from forming. Many factors do play a role in the use of alcohol and drugs, but a new concern has started to arise: Is there a chance that birth order is an indicator of how likely someone is to turn to harmful substances?

Influences of Birth Order on Behavior

While every person is different, there are some common features observed between individuals depending on their birth order. Many siblings choose activities and interests to differentiate themselves from their siblings, forming their role in the family’s structure.

First-born children are often the center of attention in the family and set the example for their siblings. They often perform at higher IQ and achievement levels, and their position as the eldest can create reliable yet cautious and potentially controlling personalities.

Middle children may not get the same level of attention as first-born or youngest siblings, which can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation from the family structure. This can create a certain level of stress and sometimes leads to middle children doing anything to get attention – be it good or bad.

The youngest siblings in the family tend to get special attention due to their position. Sometimes parents spoil these children, which can lead to impulsive behavior.

Birth Order and Substance Abuse

One of the greatest influences on substance abuse is related to stress – drugs and alcohol then become a way to avoid these issues. Each type of sibling may face their own kind of stress:

•  First-borns tend to have high expectations placed on them, leading to feeling obligated to meet those expectations.
  
• Middle children often struggle to live up to the level of the first-borns and may not receive as much attention as their other siblings.
•  Youngest siblings may receive a lot of attention, but they also may struggle to prove themselves among their older siblings and can face issues in establishing autonomy.

All these levels of stress may lead to substance abuse, making it difficult to determine if one sibling is more likely to try drugs and alcohol more than another. One study’s research points to data that suggests that middle children are more likely to abuse substances, while another study’s findings determined that the high level of pressure placed on the eldest siblings made substance abuse much more likely.

Both of these studies took place in limited conditions, and further research must occur before determining any level of causation. The contradictory findings suggest that a connection between birth order and substance abuse may not be as obvious as one would think. We need to remember that both nature and nurture influence who we become – and that applies to substance abuse as well.