PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES OF ADOLESCENT DRUG INVOLVEMENT

This study evaluates the ability of a four-factor psychosocial model t o explain adolescent drug involvement. Subjects are a representative s ample of seventh- and eighth-grade public school students. A cross-sec tional sample of data was extracted from a multiyear longitudinal asse ssment of a statewide drug education program. Data were collected thro ugh administration of the Youth Life-Styles Inventory, a specially des igned drug-involvement assessment instrument. The belief that substanc e use has both external (sociological) and internal (psychological) ca uses guided the selection of independent variables. Factor analysis wa s used to disclose the interrelated structures of the psychosocial var iables. A four-factor model was produced offering a concise theoretica l paradigm of the underlying psychosocial determinants of adolescent d rug use. This model was regressed on two indexes of drug involvement. Findings should prove useful in policy formulation and design of adole scent drug education and treatment programs. The explanatory potency o f the four-factor model should aid in the investigation of adolescent drug use. The results indicate the need for children to bond with peer s, parents, and others who have drug-resistant attitudes, and with con ventional institutions such as schools.