The proposed research aims to elucidate the psychosocial and behavioral characteristics of female adolescents who qualify for DSM-III-R diagnosis of Psychoactive Substance Use Disorder (PSUD) as a relatively simple disorder and comorbid Psychoactive Substance Use Disorders and Conduct Disorder (PSUD/CD) as a more complex drug abuse disorder. The latter group of PSUD/CD individuals is at particularly high risk for multiple personal and social problems (e.g., teenage pregnancy, AIDS, prostitution, sexually transmitted diseases, drug teratogenicity).
The specific aims of this research are to: 1) identify the biobehavioral characteristics, psychosocial correlates, family liabilities and differential dyadic interaction patterns between parent and adolescent female offspring and; 2) determine the relationship among age of pubertal onset, sexual activity and drug use. In order to accomplish these objectives, five groups of female subjects will be studied: 1) Adolescents with PSUD and no comorbid diagnosis; 2) Adolescents with PSUD/CD; 3) Adolescents with CD only; 4) Control normal adolescents with out PSUD and CD or any other psychiatric disorder, and, 5) Older sisters of the PSUD/CD and PSUD female who do not present PSUD. The results of this study will elucidate the factors associated specifically with a PSUD outcome in female adolescents, identify factors which could potentially protect against a PSUD outcome, and reveal the processes mediating the progression or development from drug use to a diagnosis of PSUD.
