ETIOLOGY OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG UNEMPLOYED BLACK YOUTH

失业黑人青少年的药物滥用率 似乎是巨大且令人震惊的。 病因学范式 这可能有助于解释失业者滥用药物的原因 黑人青年包括 1) 生活压力，2) 身份/生活方式，以及 3) 心理健康理论范式。 拟议的 这项研究是最早的系统调查之一 失业黑人青年中药物滥用的病因学。 社会心理预测指标测量将在以下两个时间点收集： 时间和六个时间点的药物使用标准，由经过培训的 采访者来自 150 名已辍学的黑人男性青少年 上学并失业。 将招募失业青年 通过多种渠道，包括福利中心、青少年 就业和邻里青年计划、邻里和 社区领袖、参加健康与公共服务的家长 机构、给高中辍学生的邮件和媒体 广告。 研究征集将表明 正在寻找失业青少年进行面谈以了解情况 不同的年轻人如何应对和经历失业。 青少年将被告知一些问题侧重于实质内容 使用。 根据这三个因素评估主要预测变量 上述病因学范式包括：1）消极生活 事件、应对策略和社会支持（生活压力）； 2） 犯罪、宗教信仰、生活目标和有目的的 活动（身份/生活方式）； 3）抑郁、自尊，以及 一般自我效能感（心理健康）。 有效期 标准预测指标将根据收敛性进行评估 次要措施来自开放式访谈数据。 将审查报告的药物使用情况的可靠性和有效性 通过 1) 自我报告与每月数据收集的一致性 点，以及 2) 自我报告数据与抵押品的比较 来自同行和其他重要人士的报告。 从当前收集的可比心理社会数据 研究样本将允许检查几组 次要假设：失业的药物滥用者会有所不同 显着影响 a) 黑人青少年吸毒的预测变量 施虐者转介接受住院治疗，b) 被判定为黑人 少年犯，以及 c) 学校和教会的规范 黑人青少年的样本。

The rates of substance abuse among unemployed black teenagers appear to be substantial and alarming. Etiological paradigms which may help to explain substance abuse among unemployed black youth include 1) life stress, 2) identity/lifestyle, and 3) psychological well-being theoretical paradigms. The proposed study represents one of the first systematic investigations of the etiology of substance abuse among unemployed black youth. Psychosocial predictor measures will be collected at two points in time, and drug use criteria at six points in time, by trained interviewers from 150 black male teenagers who have dropped out of school and are unemployed. Unemployed youth will be solicited through multiple channels, including welfare centers, teen employment and neighborhood youth programs, neighborhood and community leaders, parents attending health and human service agencies, mailings to high school dropouts, and media advertisements. Research solicitations will indicate that unemployed teenagers are being sought for an interview to learn how different youth deal with and experience unemployment. Youth will be informed that some questions focus on substance use. Primary predictor variables to be assessed, based on the three etiological paradigms outlined above, include: 1) negative life events, coping strategies and social support (Life Stress); 2) delinquency, religious commitment, life goals, and purposeful activity (Identity/Lifestyle); and 3) depression, self-esteem, and general self-efficacy (Psychological Well-Being). Validity of standard predictor measures will be assessed from convergence with secondary measures derived from open-ended interview data. Reliability and validity of reported drug use will be examined through 1) consistency of self-report over monthly data collection points, and 2) comparisons of self-report data with collateral reports from peers and significant others. Comparable psychosocial data being collected from current research samples will allow the examination of several sets of secondary hypotheses: Unemployed substance abusers will differ significantly on predictor variables from a) black teen drug abusers referred for residential treatment, b) adjudicated black juvenile offenders, and c) school and church-based normative samples of black teenagers.