Early Precursors and Concurrent Correlates of Patterns of Illicit Drug Use in Adolescence

Abstract

This study examines social, familial and child behavior antecedents of adolescent illicit drug use. The sample studied is a subsample of a follow-up sample of Manhattan children, whose mothers were interviewed at two points in time, with a 5 year interval. The subsample constitutes those study children age 14 to 22 at Time II, who were interviewed directly 6 months following the second interview with the mother. The findings indicate that early predictors have a significant and substantial influence on later illicit drug use. Importantly, differential patterns of illicit drug use exhibit relatively distinct antecedents. The use of marijuana-only is related to socioeconomic background and early child behaviors; the use of drugs other than marijuana is related to parental-marital behaviors, the quality of the bond between parents and children and early adjustment problems (with peers and at home); heroin use is strongly associated with parental-marital behaviors indicative of familial disorganization and parental antisocial behaviors.