The purpose of this study is to predict patterns of substance (alcohol and drug use/abuse in reentry female students (i.e. age 25 and older) as a function of demographic/personal variables, role strain (which is divided into three different compounents: role conflict, role overload, and role identity conflict) and the cycle of the academic semester. A conceptual model is presented based on a synthesis of past research on reentry female students, substance abuse in women and the psychology of women. Reentry females represent the largest growing number of college student and are virtually ignored on this topic. Subjects will be drawn from all 17 undergraduate branches of City University of New York. The study is divided into two stages: Stage I, the Development Study, is designed to revise existing role conflict measures, to generate data on the relationship between role conflict and substance use and to provide information on the incidence of substance use among this population. The validity of the conceptual model will be tested in Stage I and revised, if necessary, for the Stage II study. Subjects for the Development Study (Stage I) will be 300 reentry female students. Students will be administered the N.Y.S. Department of Substance Abuse Services questionnaire for students, a demographic/personal variables questionnaire, the role strain measures and a family support measure. Stage II of the study is designed to ascertain the interaction of the variables isolated in Stage I of the study with the cycle of the academic semester. 1000 reentry female students will comprise the sampe. All students will be administered the Substance Abuse measure and the revised measures developed in Stage I of the study at the beginning of the academic semester. Subjects will the be divided into three groups and each group will be readministered these measures at one of three equally spaced intervals during the semester. Retention, probation and grade information for that semester will be obtained from academic records. Students who leave school during the semester will be contacted for follow-up information. Generation of a profile of high risk reentry students and isolation of the variables which predict substance abuse will assist colleges in providing prevention and intervention services for this population of students.
