Pathways from Early Childhood Adversity to Later Adult Drug Use and Psychological Distress: A Prospective Study of a Cohort of African Americans.
Drawing on the life course perspective, this research addresses the direct and indirect pathways between childhood adversity and midlife psychological distress and drug use across a majority of the life span in an African American cohort (N = 1,242) followed from age 6 to 42 (1966 to 2002). Results from structural equation models highlight the impact of low childhood socioeconomic status (SES), poor maternal mental health, and the role of first-grade maladaptation in launching a trajectory of social maladaptation from age 6 to 42. Specifically, for men, we found a direct pathway from early low SES to drug use in mid adulthood and an indirect pathway to psychological distress through first-grade maladaptation and adolescent poor mental health. For females, early SES affected first-grade maladaptation and low school bonds, which then predicted later drug use.
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Kate
K
Fothergill
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Margaret E
ME
Ensminger
University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Elaine E
EE
Doherty
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Hee-Soon
HS
Juon
University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA greenkm@umd.edu.
Kerry M
KM
Green
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000069586:Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events / Q000523:psychology*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
adversity; classroom behavior; family bonds; psychological distress; school bonds; substance use