Substance Abuse Among Suburban Youth: Prospective Study

描述(申请人提供)：拟议的调查集中在过去发展科学家很少研究的一群年轻人，他们来自相对富裕的郊区家庭。确实存在的少数研究表明，这些年轻人在各个领域，特别是物质使用和主观痛苦方面，都存在令人惊讶的高度适应不良。这项研究的中心目标是阐明郊区青少年物质使用的个体发生和相关问题，并特别关注在这种背景下和在这个发展阶段可能特别突出的力量。具体地说，根据对6至12年级郊区青年的年度评估，我们将实现以下目标：(1)检查从前到后的发展轨迹 青春期；(2)研究郊区青少年物质使用的影响因素，包括个人因素(主观痛苦和行为能力)；与环境相关的途径(包括成就压力和与父母的脱节)；以及同伴社区(同伴？物质使用背书)；(3)在高中阶段考察物质使用的后果，包括那些与日常社交能力(学习困难)中自我报告的内心痛苦问题有关的后果 和行为不一致)，以及与父母的疏远。这些目标中的每一个都将分别为男孩和女孩实现。评估涉及多个受访者和具有良好心理测量特性的多种工具，物质使用是根据不同物质的年度和每月使用情况以及问题严重程度来衡量的。样品将会 由东北部一个富裕城镇的一群六年级学生(n=338)组成。(6年级)，以及一年和两年的预期数据已经获得，正在申请资金，以便按照这一队列再进行四次年度评估。跟踪这些年轻人从青春期前(在开始吸毒和相关问题之前)到青春期后期(那时许多问题已经具体化)的七年时间段，对于记录一群显然处于兴奋状态的年轻人吸毒的途径和后果将是非常宝贵的。 风险--但过去很少有人研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed investigation is focused on a group of youngsters rarely studied by developmental scientists in the past, those in relatively affluent, suburban families. The few studies that do exist indicate surprisingly high maladjustment among these youth across various domains, particularly substance use and subjective distress. The central objective of this research is to illuminate the ontogenesis of substance use and related problems among suburban teens, with special attention to forces likely to be especially salient in this contextual setting and at this developmental stage. Specifically, based on annual assessments of a cohort of suburban youth from the 6th through 12th grades, we will pursue the following aims: (1.) To examine developmental trajectories across the pre- through late adolescent years;(2.) To examine the antecedents of substance useamong suburban adolescents, including individual factors (subjective distress and behavioral competence); context-relevant pathways (including achievement pressures and disconnection from parents); and influences of the peer community (peers? endorsement of substance use); (3.) To examine the consequences of substance usethrough the high school years, including those pertaining to self-reported inner distress problems in everyday social competence (academic difficulties and behavioral non-conformity), and alienation from parents. Each of these objectives will be pursued separately for boys and girls. Assessments involve multiple respondents and multiple instruments with good psychometric properties, and substance use is measured in terms of both annual and monthly use of different substances, as well as problem severity. The sample will consist of a cohort of sixth grade students (n=338) in an affluent town in the North East. Baseline 6th grade), as well as one- and two-year prospective data have already been obtained, and funding is being requested to follow this cohort for four more annual assessments. Tracking these youth through a seven-year period spanning pre-adolescence (prior to the onset of substance use and related problems) through late adolescence (by which time many problems have become crystallized) will be invaluable in documenting the pathways to, and consequences of, substance use by a group of youngsters at apparently high risk -- yet little studied in the past.