Biological and Social Correlates of Drug Use in African American Emerging Adults

具体目标 国家少数民族健康差距中心确定了七个特别关注的领域 2006-2007 NCMHD探索性卓越研究中心(第20页)： ？原创和创新的基础实验室、行为、临床和基于人群的研究 改善少数群体健康的重点是消除下列任何一种疾病或 条件： O心血管疾病 O中风 O癌症 O糖尿病 O艾滋病毒/艾滋病* O婴儿死亡率* O心理健康* O肥胖 该项目中提出的研究重点是遗传影响与 环境压力、精神健康(如抑郁症)和药物使用。这个问题与人们的心理高度相关。 我们年轻人的健康，因为酒精使用障碍估计是最普遍的成人精神疾病 无序。产前药物使用对婴儿发育的影响以及对儿童的影响 在可能存在药物滥用和精神健康问题的家庭中长大是有很好的记录的。 吸毒还与感染艾滋病毒/艾滋病的风险有关--在非洲，艾滋病毒/艾滋病的发病率正在急剧上升 美国青年。 这项研究将检查遗传(即吸毒家族史、遗传标记)之间的关系 抑郁症和酒精代谢)和环境风险因素(即，接触人际关系和 社区暴力)、心理功能、使用和滥用兴奋剂(酒精、烟草和其他毒品 在18-25岁的非裔美国年轻人样本中使用)(n=600)。这项研究的主要目标是 评估吸毒和/或抑郁的遗传风险因素的存在是否增加了 心理困扰(即抑郁、绝望和自我效能)以及吸毒和/或滥用。我们会 在生活在城市环境中的非裔美国人新兴成年人样本中研究这些关系 当他们过渡到成人角色时，他们面临接触暴力和吸毒的风险 责任。 这项研究的中心假设是：5-羟色胺能系统功能障碍显著 涉及酒精和药物使用的遗传学，包括使用频率、开始年龄和使用药物以及 华盛顿非裔美国年轻人的虐待行为。附加的次要假设是 下列目标所列： 1.描述遗传风险因素(即药物依赖家族史)与 心理功能(绝望、抑郁、自我效能感)与药物使用和虐待 (开始年龄、使用频率、药物滥用行为)在非裔美国人样本中 新兴的成年人。 假设1 A：有药物依赖家族史(一级亲属依赖)将 与更高水平的心理痛苦(绝望和抑郁)和更低水平的心理困扰有关 自我效能感水平 假设1B：有药物依赖家族史(一级亲属依赖) 与开始使用药物的年龄较早、当前使用ATOD的频率较高有关，以及 药物滥用行为 2.描述遗传风险因素(即抑郁症的遗传标记)与 非裔美国新秀的心理功能与ATOD的使用和虐待 成年人。 假设2A：抑郁症的遗传标记将与较高的心理水平相关 痛苦(抑郁、绝望)和较低的自我效能感 假设2B：抑郁症的遗传标记将与较早的发病年龄相关 药物使用、当前使用兴奋剂和药物滥用行为的频率更高。 假设2C：酒精和药物代谢的遗传标记将是药物使用和 3.描述环境应激源(即，接触人际关系和 社区暴力)对心理功能和安非他明类兴奋剂使用和虐待的影响 美国新兴成年人。 假设3A：更高水平的暴力暴露将与更高水平的 心理困扰(抑郁、绝望)和较低的自我效能感 假设3B：较高水平的暴力暴露将与较早的年龄相关 开始使用药物，当前使用ATOD的频率更高，以及药物滥用行为 4.描述生物和遗传风险因素在人际关系中作为调节变量的作用 样本中环境应激源、心理功能与ATOD使用和滥用之间的关系 非裔美国人的新兴成年人。 假设4A：有药物依赖家族史会增加人际关系的规模 暴力暴露、心理困扰和使用兴奋剂之间的关系。 假设4B：抑郁症的遗传标记将增加两者之间的关系 暴力暴露、心理困扰和服用安非他明类药物。

Specific Aims The National Center on Minority Health Disparities has identified seven specific areas of interest for 2006-2007 Exploratory NCMHD Research Center of Excellence (P20): ¿ Original and innovative basic laboratory, behavioral, clinical, and population based research toward improving minority health focused on eliminating health disparities in any of the following diseases or conditions: o Cardiovascular disease o Stroke o Cancer o Diabetes o HIV/AIDS* o Infant Mortality* o Mental Health* o Obesity The research proposed in this project focuses on the relationship between genetic influences, environmental stress, mental health (e.g. depression) and drug use. This issue is highly relevant to the mental health of our youth since alcohol use disorders are estimated to be the most prevalent adult psychiatric disorder. The effects of prenatal drug use on infant development as well as the impact on children who are growing up in households where substance abuse and mental health issues may exist are well documented. Drug use is also related to the risk for contracting HIV/AIDS - which is increasing dramatically in African American youth. This study will examine relationships between genetic (i.e., family history of drug use, genetic markers for depression and alcohol metabolism) and environmental risk factors (i.e., exposure to interpersonal and community violence), psychological functioning, and ATOD use and abuse (alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use) in a sample of African American young adults aged 18-25 (n = 600). The primary goal of the study is to assess whether the presence of genetic risk factors for drug use and/or depression increases the likelihood of psychological distress (i.e., depression, hopelessness, and self-efficacy) and drug use and/or abuse. We will examine these relationships in a sample of African American emerging adults who live in urban environments where they are at risk for exposure to violence and drug use as they transition into adult roles and responsibilities. The central hypothesis of this study is: Dysfunction in the serotonergic system is significantly involved in the genetics of alcohol and drug use including frequency of use, age of initiation and drug use and abuse behaviors in African American young adults in Washington DC. Additional secondary hypotheses are listed in the aims below:: 1. To describe the association of genetic risk factors (i.e., family history of drug dependence) to psychological functioning (hopelessness, depression, self-efficacy) and to ATOD use and abuse (age of initiation, frequency of use, drug abuse behaviors) in a sample of African American emerging adults. ¿ Hypothesis 1 A: A family history of drug dependence (dependence in first degree relatives) will be associated with higher levels of psychological distress (hopelessness and depression) and lower levels of self-efficacy ¿ Hypothesis 1B: A family history of drug dependence (dependence in first degree relatives) will be associated with earlier ages of initiation of drug use, greater frequency of current ATOD use, and drug abuse behaviors 2. To describe the association of genetic risk factors (i.e., genetic markers for depression) to psychological functioning and to ATOD use and abuse in a sample of African American emerging adults. ¿ Hypothesis 2A: Genetic markers for depression will be associated with higher levels of psychological distress (depression, hopelessness), and lower levels of self-efficacy ¿ Hypothesis 2B: Genetic markers for depression will be associated with earlier ages of initiation of drug use, greater frequency of current ATOD use and drug abuse behaviors. ¿ Hypothesis 2C: Genetic markers for alcohol and drug metabolism will be modifiers of drug use and 3. To describe the association of environmental stressors (i.e., exposure to interpersonal and community violence) to psychological functioning and ATOD use and abuse in a sample of African American emerging adults. ¿ Hypothesis 3A: Higher levels of violence exposure will be associated with higher levels of psychological distress (depression, hopelessness), and lower levels of self-efficacy ¿ Hypothesis 3B: Higher levels of violence exposure will be associated with earlier ages of initiation of drug use, greater frequency of current ATOD use, and drug abuse behaviors 4. To describe the role of biological and genetic risk factors as moderating variables in relationships between environmental stressors, psychological functioning, and ATOD use and abuse in a sample of African American emerging adults. ¿ Hypothesis 4A: A family history of drug dependence will increase the magnitude of relationships between violence exposure, psychological distress and ATOD use. ¿ Hypothesis 4B: Genetic markers for depression will increase the magnitude of relationships between violence exposure, psychological distress and ATOD use.