NCJ Number
168515
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 26 Issue: 3 Dated: June 1997 Pages: 353-372
Date Published
1997
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Using a two-wave longitudinal design with a 6-month interval, this study examined associations between substance use and emotional/behavioral adjustment among 138 inner-city, ninth- grade students.
Abstract
Substance use was operationalized in terms of self-reported severity of problems associated with use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. The measurement of adjustment was based on various sources, including ratings by the self, by peers, and by teachers, as well as school records. Cross-sectional data show that drug use had associations in expected directions with all indexes of adjustment, with the exception of peer-rated sociability. Longitudinal analyses show that high levels of drug use early in the year were related to subsequent increases in behavioral and emotional maladjustment. Early maladjustment across various domains was minimally associated with escalations in drug use. Results of this and other studies of disadvantaged youth (Brunswick, 1988; Brunswick et al., 1991) suggest that multifaceted interventions, which at their core target substance- use problems, could yield significant benefits for youth at risk for negative outcomes across various domains of functioning. 3 tables and 62 references