Substance Abuse Among Suburban Youth: A Prospective Study

描述（由申请人提供）：基于风险，复原力和预防的发展心理病理学范式，本研究旨在对约300名富裕学生的队列进行9次年度评估（新英格兰郊区青年研究，NESSY; DA 014385）。学生已经从6 - 12年级在学校和大学一年级后跟踪，我们现在正在进行评估后大学二年级。NESSY研究涉及多个指标，结构和受访者，随着时间的推移，保留率为85-90%。迄今为止的结果表明，许多适应问题，特别是物质使用和违反规则的女孩和男孩，以及增加抑郁症和焦虑的女孩。 公共卫生相关段落：在拟议的研究中，我们试图在大学3年级和4年级以及大学毕业后的前2年对这一队列进行4次额外的年度评估，以实现以下具体目标：（1）检查成年早期物质使用的发展轨迹;（2）检查早期成人物质使用的前因，考虑a）先前的父母和同伴社交维度，B）社交维度和物质使用之间联系的中介（即，（3）探讨青少年滥用药物对成年早期的影响，包括a）心理问题，B）学业表现，及c）他人对亲密关系的评价。最近对其他富裕青少年样本的研究证实了我们对NESSY青少年的研究结果，显示出相对于规范的高物质使用和相关问题。然而，这些青少年困扰的长期后果目前尚不清楚。这项研究将是第一个产生关于一群富裕青年的多波数据的研究，阐明了青少年和成年早期（跨越高风险的大学时期以及大学毕业后的过渡期，可能进入工作和长期关系）的物质使用轨迹（和/或潜在的“成熟”）。从童年中期开始收集多信息提供者的数据，并且保留率很高，对风险和保护过程的前瞻性分析在为诸如此类的青年提供信息干预方面可能是非常宝贵的-其中相当一部分人多年来一直报告高水平的药物使用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Based in developmental psychopathology paradigms of risk, resilience and prevention, this study seeks to extend 9 annual assessments of a cohort of about 300 affluent students (New England Study of Suburban Youth, NESSY; DA014385). Students have been followed from the 6th-12th grades at school and post freshman year at college, and we are now conducting assessments post sophomore year of college. The NESSY study has involved multiple measures, constructs, and respondents, with retention of 85-90% over time. Results thus far have shown substantial elevations in many adjustment problems especially substance use and rule-breaking among both girls and boys, and elevated depression and anxiety among the girls. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE PARAGRAPH: In the proposed study, we seek to follow this cohort for 4 additional annual assessments post Years 3 and 4 of college, and the first 2 years after college graduation, toward pursuing the following Specific Aims: (1) To examine developmental trajectories of substance use through early adulthood; (2) To examine antecedents of early adult substance use, considering a) prior parent and peer socializing dimensions, b) mediators of links between socializing dimensions and substance use (i.e., youths' overemphasis on achievements, internalizing and externalizing problems), and c) potential moderators involving youths' personal characteristics; (3) To examine the consequence of substance use for early adulthood including a) psychological problems, b) academic performance, and c) quality of close relationships as rated by others. Recent studies of other affluent teen samples corroborate our findings with NESSY youth, showing high substance use and related problems relative to norms. The long-term ramifications of these adolescent disturbances, however, are presently unknown. This study would be the first to yield multi-wave data on a cohort of affluent youth, illuminating trajectories (and/or potential "maturing out") of substance use and associated problems across adolescence and early adulthood (spanning the high-risk college years as well as the transition out of college, potentially into jobs and committed long-term relationships). With multi- informant data gathered from middle childhood onwards and high retention, prospective analyses of risk and protective processes could be invaluable in informing interventions for youth such as these -- a non-trivial proportion of whom have consistently reported high levels of substance use over several years.