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精神病理学范式，这项研究试图扩大对大约300名富裕学生队列的9项年度评估(新英格兰郊区青年研究，内西；DA014385)。我们从学校6-12年级和大学一年级后对学生进行了跟踪调查，现在我们正在进行大学二年级后的评估。Nessy的研究涉及多个测量、结构和受访者，随着时间的推移，保留了85%-90%。到目前为止，结果表明，许多适应问题，特别是女孩和男孩使用药物和违反规则的问题大幅增加，女孩的抑郁和焦虑增加。 与公共健康相关的段落：在拟议的研究中，我们试图遵循这一队列，在大学第三年和第四年以及大学毕业后的头两年进行4次额外的年度评估，以追求以下具体目标：(1)检查成人早期药物使用的发展轨迹；(2)检查成人早期药物使用的前因性，考虑a)先前的父母和同伴社交维度，b)社交维度与药物使用之间联系的中介因素(即年轻人过于强调成就、内化和外化问题)，以及c)涉及青少年个人特征的潜在调节因素；(3)检查成人早期使用物质的后果，包括a)心理问题，b)学习成绩，c)他人评价的亲密关系的质量。最近对其他富裕青少年样本的研究证实了我们对Nessy Young的发现，显示出高药物使用和与正常相关的问题。然而，这些青春期精神障碍的长期后果目前尚不清楚。这项研究将首次对一群富裕的年轻人提供多波数据，阐明青春期和成年期早期(包括高风险的大学时期以及大学毕业后的过渡期、潜在的就业和长期关系)药物使用和相关问题的轨迹(和/或潜在的“成熟”)。有了从童年中期开始收集的多信息者数据和高保留率，对风险和保护过程的前瞻性分析在向青少年提供干预措施方面可能是非常宝贵的--其中相当一部分人几年来一直报告使用高水平的药物。

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.