ERIC Number: EJ932043
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Nov
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
A Mixture-Model Approach to Linking ADHD to Adolescent Onset of Illicit Drug Use
Malone, Patrick S.; Van Eck, Kathryn; Flory, Kate; Lamis, Dorian A.
Developmental Psychology, v46 n6 p1543-1555 Nov 2010
Prior research findings have been mixed as to whether attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is related to illicit drug use independent of conduct problems (CP). With the current study, the authors add to this literature by investigating the association between trajectories of ADHD symptoms across childhood and adolescence and onset of illicit drug use, with and without controlling for CP. In a longitudinal panel study of a community sample of 754 girls and boys recruited in kindergarten, this research question was examined with a combination of growth mixture modeling (to model parent-reported ADHD symptom trajectories) and survival analysis (to model youth-reported initiation of illicit drug use). Results revealed a 3-class model of ADHD trajectories, with 1 class exhibiting no or minimal symptoms throughout childhood and adolescence, another class showing a convex shape (an increase, then a decrease in symptoms) across time, and a third class showing a concave shape (a decrease, then a slight increase in symptoms) over time. The concave-trajectory class demonstrated significantly earlier onset of illicit drug use than the minimal-problem class, with the convex-trajectory class falling between (but not significantly different from either of the other two classes). These results did not change when the authors added CP to the model as a covariate. Implications of findings for theory and practice are discussed. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Drug Abuse, Correlation, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Children, Longitudinal Studies, Behavior Problems, Intervention, At Risk Students, Age Differences, Predictor Variables
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A