Life Span Perspective on Drug Use and Affective Distress in an African-American Sample

• NCJ Number: 155014
• Journal: Journal of Community Psychology Volume: 19 Dated: (April 1991) Pages: 123-135
• Author(s): A F Brunswick; C S Lewis; P A Messeri
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): 5-R01-DA0327; 5-R01-DA05142
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

Data from 411 black inner-city residents were used to examine the relationship between drug use and emotional distress.

Abstract

The data came from the second and third waves of an ongoing prospective health study in a community- representative sample of African Americans. Participants were recruited in 1968-69 as adolescents ages 12-17 in the late 1960's. The second, early-adult transition interview took place in 1975-76, while the third wave of interviews was conducted in 1983-84. The analysis focused on the individual and collective use of eight drugs over the 7-year interval from 1975-76 to 1983-84, when the participants moved from ages 18-23 to 26-31 years. Regression analysis indicated that drug use was directly associated with negative change in affective distress. Important gender differences were apparent in the magnitude, related drugs, and timing of these drug effects. Further analysis revealed that the introduction of lifestyle controls for social integration and social attainment did not substantially change the observed drug effects. Tables and 30 references (Author abstract modified)