METHODOLOGY OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLYDRUG STUDY (NYPS) (FROM YOUTH DRUG ABUSE, 1979, BY GEORGE M BESCHNER AND ALFRED S FRIEDMAN - SEE NCJ-58731)

• NCJ Number: 58736
• Author(s): Y SANTO
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 17 pages
• Corporate Author: Lexington Books
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

SAMPLING PROCEDURES, DATA COLLECTION, DATA PROCESSING, AND DATA ANALYSIS ARE DESCRIBED FOR THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLYDRUG STUDY (NYPS), ALONG WITH THE GOALS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE DATA BASE.

Abstract

THE NYPS WAS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT NEW SOURCE OF INFORMATION CONCERNING YOUTHS IN TREATMENT FOR DRUG ABUSE BY SETTING THESE GOALS FOR THE DATA BASE: (1) CONDUCT A NATIONAL STUDY OF YOUTHS IN TREATMENT FOR DRUG ABUSE; (2) UTILIZE A SAMPLE FROM THE DIFFERENT TREATMENT AGENCIES; AND (3) INCLUDE IN THE SAMPLE ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION OF THE MAJOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC CATEGORIES IN EACH REGION. THE SAMPLE USED CAN NOT BE REGARDED AS REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL YOUTHS IN TREATMENT, BUT ONLY AS A ROUGH APPROXIMATION OF THIS POPULATION. THE THREE SAMPLING STAGES IN THE DATA-COLLECTION PROCESS INCLUDED DELINEATION OF THE POPULATION, RECRUITMENT OF DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS INTO THE SAMPLE, AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE CLIENT INFORMATION FORM--A STANDARIZED INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR CLIENTS IN THE RECRUITED PROGRAMS. SUBJECTS FOR THE INTERVIEW HAD TO BE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 18 AT ADMISSION TO TREATMENT, HAVE A HISTORY OF DRUG ABUSE, AND HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO THE TREATMENT PROGRAM WITHIN THE 3-MONTH PERIOD PRECEDING THE INTERVIEW. ALL SUBJECTS WERE INTERVIEWED DURING THE 6-MONTH PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER 1976 TO MARCH 1977, EXCEPT FOR A SPECIAL GROUP OF 140 NATIVE AMERICANS INTERVIEWED IN EARLY 1976. DELINEATION OF THE STUDY POPULATION IS DESCRIBED, ALONG WITH THE RECRUITMENT OF DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS INTO THE SAMPLE. THE REPRESENTATIVENESS OF THE 97 DRUG PROGRAMS SAMPLED IS EXAMINED BY COMPARING THE PARTICIPATING DRUG PROGRAMS WITH THOSE DECLINING PARTICIPATION. TRAINING OF INTERVIEWERS AND RELIABILITY OF INTERVIEW DATA ARE DISCUSSED, FOLLOWED BY A CONSIDERATION OF THE DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, A DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLE, TREATMENT SETTINGS, AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLIENTS IN NYPS IN COMPARISON WITH THOSE OF YOUTH CLIENTS IN THE FOUR NATIONAL DATA BASES EXISTING PRIOR TO NYPS ARE NOTED. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)