Families and drugs: a life-span research approach.
The literature linking family-related drug abuse research and a life-span perspective is reviewed. Data are presented suggesting that drug abuse may be a problem at any point in the life-span and that the family is a natural laboratory for research dealing with this problem. Three subsets of the family/drug abuse literature relevant to a life-span perspective--Systems, Intergenerational, and Life-Cycle Studies--are identified and major studies within each briefly reviewed. Finally, in order to make a first step toward the integration of a life-span orientation with more traditional drug abuse research approaches, an extensive list of content-related and methodological research questions is suggested.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005190:Family; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012107:Research Design; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*