Longtudinal Relations Between Internalizing Disorders and Substance Use Problems

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究职业发展奖（K01）的目标是为PI提供为期5年的课程和指导研究，涉及复杂的纵向数据分析技术和数据收集领域，以便她发展必要的专业知识，以追求独立的研究事业，研究内化障碍与物质使用和障碍之间的关系。第一个培训目标侧重于获得一些纵向统计分析技术的专门知识（例如，增长曲线建模，潜在过渡分析），并将通过课程作业和指导研究的结合来实现。这些技术将首先应用于两个纵向档案数据集，明尼苏达州双胞胎家庭研究和匹兹堡青年研究（1-4年）。第二个培训目标涉及有指导的数据收集；将对新泽西州卡姆登的弱势青年样本进行频繁评估（4-5年级）。在这个职业发展奖的第5年，PI将把她的统计专业知识应用到她自己的卡姆登研究的纵向数据中，并申请R01资助，以扩大她的卡姆登纵向研究，并研究与精神病理学和物质使用问题有关的新问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this Research Career Development Award (K01) is to provide the PI with a 5-year period of coursework and mentored research in the areas of sophisticated longitudinal data analytic techniques and data collection so that she develops the expertise necessary to pursue an independent research career examining associations between internalizing disorders and substance use and disorders. The first training goal focuses on gaining expertise in a number of longitudinal statistical analysis techniques (e.g., growth curve modeling, latent transition analysis) and will be achieved through a combination of coursework and mentored research. These techniques will initially be applied to two longitudinal archival data sets, the Minnesota Twin Family Study and the Pittsburgh Youth Study (Years 1-4). The second training goal involves mentored data collection; frequent assessments of a sample of disadvantaged youth in Camden, New Jersey will be conducted (Years 4-5). In Year 5 of this career development award, the PI will apply her statistical expertise to her own longitudinal data from the Camden study and apply for an R01 grant to expand her Camden Longitudinal Study and examine emerging questions relating to psychopathology and substance use problems. The proposed research examines longitudinal associations between internalizing disorders (depression, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety) and substance use and disorders (abuse and dependence). Direct examinations of two important potential moderators of these associations-gender and antisocial behavior- will be included and are viewed as crucial to developing an accurate understanding of longitudinal pathways between and among these problems. By using sophisticated longitudinal statistical techniques that are both variable-centered and person-centered and by using three complementary data sets, the research conducted during the 5-year period of this career development award will result in a comprehensive model of the longitudinal associations between internalizing disorders and substance use and disorders and will enable the PI to proceed onto an independent, highly productive program of research that propels the field to a deeper and more thorough understanding of the associations between psychopathology and substance use problems over time. This research is important to public health because a clear understanding of the associations between mental health and substance use problems will lead to more effective and targeted prevention and intervention efforts, thereby reducing the burden of mental illness and substance use problems on society.