Lewayne D. Gilchrist

Developmental Trajectories of Disruptive Behavior Problems in Preschool Children of Adolescent Mothers

Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), we analyzed individual developmental trajectories of disruptive behavior problems between ages 3.5 to 6.0 years for 183 children of adolescent mothers. We examined how the level of problem behavior (intercept) and the rate of change over time (slope) are influenced by childs sex, mothers depression/anxiety symptoms, and mothers use of negative control for regulating child behavior. On average, disruptive behavior decreased from age 3.5 to 6.0. Child sex and maternal depression/anxiety related to the level of behavior problems but not to the rate of change. Boys and children of more depressed/anxious mothers exhibited higher levels of disruptive behavior. Maternal negative control was associated with both level of disruptive behavior and rate of change, and negative control mediated the effects of maternal depression/anxiety. Greater negative control corresponded to higher levels of behavior problems and no reduction in their display over time. Child race moderated effects of negative control.

Childhood Predictors of Offense Trajectories

Previous research has shown heterogeneity in offense trajectories. Using data from the Seattle Social Development Project, a longitudinal study of 808 youths followed since 1985, this study seeks to identify childhood predictors of different offense trajectories. Five offense trajectories were identified using semiparametric, group-based modeling: nonoffenders, late onsetters, desisters, escalators, and chronic offenders. Multinomial logistic regressions were then employed to examine childhood predictors measured at ages 10 to 12 that distinguish these five groups. Results indicated that among initial nonoffenders at age 13, late onsetters were distinguished from nonoffenders by individual factors. Among youth already delinquent at age 13, escalators were distinguished from desisters by peer, school, and neighborhood factors.

Preventing Substance Abuse Among American-Indian Adolescents: A Bicultural Competence Skills Approach

Tobacco, alcohol, and drug use are problems for American-Indian people. We reviewed these problems and the explanations for them and described a bicultural competence skills approach for preventing substance abuse with American-Indian adolescents. Data from a study of that approach suggest its efficacy with American-Indian youth. At posttest and a 6-month follow-up, American-Indian subjects who received preventive intervention based on bicultural competence skills concepts improved more than did American-Indian subjects in a no-intervention control condition on measures of substance-use knowledge, attitudes, and interactive skills, and on self-reported rates of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use. Our findings have implications for future substance-abuse prevention research with American-Indian people.

Cigarette smoking cessation attempts by recovering alcoholics

Survey data on the smoking cessation experiences of 77 recovering alcoholics are reported. A comparison of successful and unsuccessful quitters addressed questions about optimal timing of cessation efforts, relative severity of alcohol and tobacco abuse histories, and the impact of cessation efforts on the maintenance of sobriety. Findings suggest that recovering alcoholics can successfully quit smoking without jeopardizing sobriety but that individuals with more severe substance abuse histories may be less successful. Although successful quitters tended to wait longer before attempting cessation, a comparison of the two groups was not statistically significant.

Drug use among adolescent mothers: prepregnancy to 18 months postpartum.

PURPOSE Little is known about the substance use patterns of adolescent mothers, particularly in the postpartum period. This study provides descriptive, longitudinal data on the substance use behavior of a cohort of adolescent mothers. METHODS A total of 241 pregnant adolescents, under 18 years old and planning to carry the pregnancy to term, completed the initial interview. Respondents were interviewed again at 1, 6, 12, and 18 months postpartum. The data reported here are based on the 229 respondents who completed all five interviews. RESULTS Use of all substances decreased substantially during pregnancy, but increased steadily in the first 6 months postpartum. A similar pattern was observed for regular use of multiple substances. Regular use before and after the pregnancy, but not during it, was the most common pattern of substance use. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of substance use among adolescent mothers is significant. To capitalize on the large decreases in use during pregnancy, drug prevention programs for adolescent mothers should target the first 6 months postpartum.

Substance use and other factors associated with risky sexual behavior among pregnant adolescents.

A study of the relationship between substance use and risky sexual behavior was conducted among 241 unmarried pregnant adolescents aged 17 and younger who lived in a metropolitan area in the Northwest. The respondents had comparable or higher lifetime use rates for all substances than did women in a national sample of high school seniors, even though the pregnant adolescents were younger. Ninety-four percent had used alcohol, 78% marijuana, 30% cocaine and 30% stimulants, compared with 92%, 48%, 14% and 23%, respectively, among women in the national sample. Among the pregnant adolescents, 84% had had more than one sexual partner, 39% had had a sexually transmitted disease and 60% had used contraceptives during less than half of their sexual encounters. At the bivariate level, use of cigarettes and alcohol in general and use of alcohol and drugs during sex were positively associated with risky sexual behavior. However, when other characteristics associated with risky sexual behavior--family bonding, parental monitoring, commitment to conventional values, peer associations, self-esteem and delinquent activities--were included in the multivariate analysis, the effect of substance use disappeared.

Skills intervention to prevent cigarette smoking among adolescents.

Skills intervention to prevent cigarette smoking was evaluated with 689 adolescents. At 24-month follow-up, youths who received health information and skills intervention had lower intentions to smoke and less cigarette use than youths who received health information alone and youths who received no intervention. Conclusions about the effects of skills intervention are strengthened by the common preparation and random assignment of intervention leaders and by process measurement data.

Skills Enhancement to Prevent Substance Abuse Among American Indian Adolescents

Skills enhancement programs to prevent drug abuse have shown promise in tests with majority-culture adolescents. To date few applications of this preventive strategy have been evaluated with American Indian youth. A culturally tailored 10-session skills enhancement program was delivered in reservation and nonreservation settings in the Pacific North west. At 6-month follow-up, compared with test-only control condition subjects, intervention condition subjects had better knowledge of drug effects, better interpersonal skills for managing pressures to use drugs, and lower rates of alcohol, marijuana, and inhalant use. Intervention condition subjects were also less likely to label or consider themselves users of these substances. The findings suggest that behavioral skills training approaches hold promise for reducing substance use and abuse among American Indians.

Effects of Grandmother Coresidence and Quality of Family Relationships on Depressive Symptoms in Adolescent Mothers.

New welfare policies mandate minor unmarried adolescent mothers to coreside with a parent or adult guardian to qualify for cash assistance. The influence of grandmother coresidence and the quality of familial relationships on adolescent mothers psychological well-being is little understood. This article considers the main and interactive effects of grandmother coresidence family cohesion and young mother conflict with grandmother on adolescent reports of depressive symptoms in a sample (N = 194) of predominantly low-income adolescent mothers. Young mothers ranged in age from 15 to 17 years during pregnancy. Predictor variables associations with depressive symptoms were examined at 6 18 and 30 months post-partum. No main effects of grandmother coresidence on adolescents depressive symptoms were found. In contrast the quality of family relationships as well as the interaction of grandmother coresidence with family cohesion were associated with depressive symptoms. Adolescent mothers with the greatest depressive symptoms were those who coresided with grandmothers under conditions of poor family cohesion. Implications for new welfare policies are discussed. (authors)

Coping and Social Support in Families of Developmentally Disabled Children

Personal coping and social supports are presented as resources for parents of handicapped children. These closely linked concepts are viewed as increasingly of interest to practitioners and investigators who recognize that such parents encounter extraordinary stress. An overview of the difficulties faced by parents of handicapped children is followed by a review of several studies on coping among such parents. The authors describe a structured group approach to teach parents of handicapped children to use personal coping and social supports.