SUBSTANCE USE: FAMILY, FRIEND, AND COMMUNITY FACTORS

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DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) The specific aim of this application for a K02 award is to advance the applicant's quantitative skills, which in turn will allow her to build on the qualitative and quantitative skills she already has as well as on the largely qualitative contributions she has made to the substance abuse field. Much of her work in the substance abuse field has been qualitative in nature or been limited to less advanced quantitative approaches. Ultimately, the candidate anticipates that an extensive knowledge of advanced qualitative and quantitative skills will allow her to continue to make contributions to the field. In the research plan, the applicant proposes to build on her ongoing research on intergenerational substance abuse among mothers and daughters. Although research on familial, friend, and community factors on substance abuse exists, many questions remain regarding the complex relationship between risk and protective factors at all three of these levels. In the proposed research, the candidate aims: (1) to determine familial patterns of substance use, abuse and dependence among cocaine-dependent young adults (ages 18-25), their parents and their siblings. This includes the role of specific family members, familial aggregation, familial use patterns of specific drugs, and the development of familial substance use; (2) to explore the association between cocaine dependence and comorbid psychopathology, particularly depression, anxiety, antisocial personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress syndrome; (3) to examine the role of specific community factors in the development of substance use, abuse, and dependence. These factors involve local drug market forces, such as the availability, price and purity of cocaine and other drugs; community norms regarding substance use, and other relevant community characteristics; and (4) to investigate the dynamics of risk and protective factors at the individual, familial, and community levels. The development and training component of the application includes course work in advanced statistical techniques. This further training will allow the applicant to continue to build on her existing expertise and to continue to make contributions to the field by adding quantitative approaches to her largely qualitative work. The requested release time from teaching and administrative responsibilities will allow the candidate to enhance her research career.