Mutual attachment, personality, and drug use: Pathways from childhood to young adulthood

Young adult drug use stemming from childhood aggression, the parent-child m utual attachment relationship, and the effect of unconventionality were stu died. Youngsters and their mothers were interviewed when the former were ea rly adolescents, late adolescents, and young adults. Additional data were c ollected from the mothers when their youngsters were children. The analysis was conducted on youngsters who had complete data at all 4 points in time. The findings were in accord with the family interactional model; that is, the parent-child mutual attachment relationship affects unconventionality i n the youngster, which, in turn, affects young adult drug use. The results indicate that the parent-child mutual attachment relationship does so throu gh (a) the stability of the attachment relationship from childhood to young adulthood, (b) the stability of unconventional personality and behavioral attributes from early adolescence to young adulthood, and (c) the stability of drug use from early adolescence to young adulthood. The findings imply that (a) early intervention with respect to aggression, (b) interventions t hat focus on strengthening the parent-child bond and conventional behavior, and (c) interventions aimed at early drug use should be most effective in reducing young adult drug use.