NCJ Number
178174
Date Published
1998
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This paper presents data from a 20-year longitudinal study of precursors of drug use in children who were first assessed at 1 to 10 years of age and followed to young adulthood.
Abstract
A sample of 1,000 children, ages 1 to 10, was assessed in 1975. Investigators met with the mothers and the children, and both groups were reassessed during early and late adolescence. During early adolescence, characteristics related to unconventionality were reported by young women who later had high stages of drug use: lower achievement, lower church attendance, greater rebelliousness, less responsibility, and greater tolerance of deviance. Those at higher stages of drug use reported difficulty in terms of emotional control (frequent expression of anger and impulsiveness). In the interpsychic area, only low ego integration was related to higher stages of drug use. Depression and anxiety were not related to higher stages of drug use. The behavior patterns of early adolescence persisted during late adolescence, although correlations were higher then. Two main types of childhood personality attributes appeared to be important predictors of drug use during adulthood: reckless and predelinquent behaviors, including aggression, and poor emotional control. Early prevention efforts that focus on crucial personality attributes may not only inhibit initial drug use but also prevent drug use later in adulthood. A follow-up study analyzed information on three generations over the 20-year study period: grandmothers, parents, and 2-year-old children. The findings from this follow-up study are summarized, along with issues for future research.