NCJ Number
171812
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: (Fall 1996) Pages: 1007-1025
Date Published
1996
Length
19 pages
Annotation
A retrospective case-control study of male drug addicts in Baltimore focused on determining whether family structure and family functioning factors, retrospectively self-reported as having occurred during the early teenage years, were associated with subsequent addiction.
Abstract
The 255 addicts were compared with two matched control groups: 147 of their teenage associates at age 11 (peer controls) and 199 of their age peers who lived in their community but were not close associated (community controls). The study population was equally divided between white and black participants. Results revealed that an intact family structure, in which the youth lived with both natural parents, was negatively associated with addiction. The association was statistically significant. Family factors that were negatively associated with later addiction, independent of family structure, included a strong attachment to the father or father figure, a positive home atmosphere, strong parental adherence to traditional norms, and expected weak parental disapproval of hypothetical misbehaviors by the participants if these misbehaviors had in fact occurred. However, attachment to the mother or mother figure was almost equally very high among the groups of participants and therefore was not associated with later addiction. Tables, notes, and 26 references (Author abstract modified)