The purpose of this study was to assess the attainment and achievement of a variety of competence measures relating to adult roles among subjects exhibiting one of five alcohol problem use trajectories over a 13 year time frame. A community sample of adolescents were initially tested at ages 12, 15 or 18 in 1979-81 and 1200 subjects returned 3, 6 and 13 years later. At all times, a variety of indicators of alcohol consumption and use related problems were gathered. Using growth curve analysis, five longitudinal patterns of alcohol use and related problems were found. The five groups include: Group 1) Persistently low problem use throughout adolescence and young adulthood, Group 2) Low to moderate problem use throughout adolescence followed by late onset, heavier problem use in adulthood (age 25+), Group 3) Time limited problem use in young adulthood (ages 21-24), Group 4) Emergence of moderate problem use in adolescence with persistence into adulthood and Group 5) Emergence of problem use in adolescence (as young as age 15), decreasing over time into adulthood. It appears that having a family history positive (parents or siblings) for alcohol and/or depression related problems put both male and female subjects at greater risk for membership into Group 2 and 3. Gender differences, longitudinal measures of sensation-seeking needs and negative affect, as well as Time 4 measures of adult role attainments for each of the trajectory groups will be presented.
Learning Objectives: During this session, speaker will discuss recent research regarding the relationships between family histories of alcoholism and depression with both the alcohol use trajectories of subjects (from age 12 through age 31), as well as the impact of a variety of psychosocial measures. The learner will be able to identify five salient indicators of risk for long term problem alcohol use versus those for short term problem use
Keywords: Youth, Alcohol Problems
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.