NCJ Number
61204
Journal
British Journal of Psychiatry Volume: 134 Dated: (MARCH 1979) Pages: 269-276
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A SYSTEM FOR MONITORING DRUG USE AND WAS BASED ON DATA FROM ANNUAL SURVEYS OF TWO CONTRASTING POPULATION GROUPS, A GENERAL POPULATION SAMPLE, AND A SAMPLE OF ANTISOCIAL DEVIANTS.
Abstract
A SELF-ADMINISTERED MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONNAIRE OBTAINED A WIDE RANGE OF INFORMATION, INCLUDING ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF DRUGS AND DETAILS ON THE QUANTITY AND FREQUENCY OF USE. FORMS OF DEVIANCE EXPLORED WERE PARENTAL DISCORD, SEPARATION FROM EITHER PARENT, PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS, AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR RANGING FROM TRUANCY TO BEING SENTENCED TO CONFINEMENT IN AN INSTITUTION. TWO POPULATIONS WERE SAMPLED IN THREE ANNUAL SURVEYS FROM 1971 TO 1973. THE RISK SAMPLE REPRESENTED PRISONERS ENTERING JAIL IN EACH YEAR, DELINQUENTS IN INSTITUTIONS, AND PROBATIONERS WHO WERE SURVEYED ONLY IN 1972 AND 1973 (555 PERSONS). THE GENERAL POPULATION SAMPLE REPRESENTED THE AGE GROUPS FROM 15 TO 19 YEARS AND CONSISTED OF SCHOOL AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE STUDENTS AND TRAINEE NURSES (7,092 PERSONS). DRUGS WERE CLASSIFIED AS ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, ANALGESICS, SEDATIVES, MARIHUANA, HALLUCINOGENS, STIMULANTS, AND NARCOTICS. DATA DEMONSTRATED THAT DEVIANCE, ESPECIALLY ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, CORRELATED CLOSELY WITH THE TENDENCY TO USE DRUGS; THE RISK SAMPLE USED DRUGS MORE THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION SAMPLE. THE FACT THAT PROBATIONERS HAS GIVEN UP THE USE OF ALL ILLICIT DRUGS EXCEPT MARIHUANA TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN DELINQUENTS AND PRISONERS SEEMED TO CONFIRM THE BENEFICIAL INFLUENCE OF PROBATION ON ILLICIT DRUG USE. ANALYSIS OF THE GENERAL POPULATION SAMPLE ESTABLISHED AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEVIANCE AND DRUG USE. A HISTORY OF TREATMENT FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS CORRELATED WITH THE TENDENCY TO USE DRUGS, PARTICULARLY SEDATIVES AND ILLICIT DRUGS. DRUG USE WAS MORE COMMON AMONG THOSE WHO CAME FROM BROKEN HOMES AND WHOSE PARENTS WERE DIVORCED OR SEPARATED. TABLES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)