Associations between early-adolescent substance use and subsequent young-adult substance use disorders and psychiatric disorders among a multiethnic male sample in South Florida.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the associations among early-adolescent substance use, subsequent young-adult substance use disorders, and psychiatric disorders among a community sample of males.


METHODS
Early-adolescent data were collected in classroom surveys (1990-1993), and young-adult data were collected in face-to-face interviews (1998-2000).


RESULTS
We found strong associations between early-adolescent substance use and young-adult substance use disorders and psychiatric disorders. The magnitudes of these associations varied by racial/ethnic group and were strongest among African Americans and foreign-born Hispanics, who reported the lowest early-adolescent substance use.


CONCLUSIONS
Early-adolescent substance use is most strongly associated with a later pattern of dysfunction among the racial/ethnic groups that reported the lowest levels of early use. The implications of our findings in the context of primary and secondary prevention are discussed.
Gil
Andres G
AG
Community-Based Intervention Research Group and the College of Health and Urban Affairs, School of Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, USA. gila@fiu.edu
Wagner
Eric F
EF
Tubman
Jonathan G
JG
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors