NCJ Number
212711
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 35 Issue: 4 Dated: Fall 2005 Pages: 799-816
Date Published
2005
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This paper presents lifetime and 12-month prevalence rates and comorbidity data for substance abuse disorders among homeless and runaway youth.
Abstract
Data were obtained from baseline interviews in a longitudinal diagnostic study of 428 (187 males and 241 females) homeless and runaway adolescents ages 16 to 19. Interviews were conducted on the streets and in shelters in eight midwestern cities of various population sizes. Lifetime criteria for at least one of three substance disorders (alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, and drug abuse) were met by 60.5 percent of the runaways, and 48.1 percent met 12-month criteria for at least one of the disorders. Ninety-three percent of the juveniles who met criteria for a substance disorder met criteria for at least one other mental disorder. The factors most predictive of meeting lifetime criteria for substance abuse included parenting practices, experience of abuse, and association with deviant peers. These findings suggest that a clinician working with a runaway or homeless adolescent is very likely to encounter substance abuse problems, and these will tend to co-occur with other mental disorders. Also, nearly 50 percent of the youth in the sample reported having a caretaker who had received treatment for a substance abuse disorder. This finding supports previous research that has linked family factors to substance abuse disorders. This suggests the importance of early intervention with youths who are or have been in the care of substance abusers. The influence of deviant peer affiliations was also significant in substance abuse disorders. This should also be targeted for early intervention. 6 tables and 30 references