Suchergebnisse

This retrospective case-control study of male narcotic addicts was aimed at determining whether family structure and functioning factors, self-reported retrospectively as occurring during early teen age, were associated with subsequent addiction. It contrasted a reference group of addicts with two matched control groups: their teenage associates at age 11 (peer controls), and age-peers residing in their community but not close associates (community controls). The study population was equally divided between white and black subjects. Study results showed that during early teenage intact family structure (defined here as residence in a household consisting of both natural parents) was negatively associated at statistically significant levels with addiction. Family functioning factors negatively associated with later addiction, independently of family structure, included: strong attachment to father or father figure, positive home atmosphere, strong parental adherence to traditional norms, and expected weak parental disapproval of (hypothetical) misbehaviors by subjects if these had in fact occurred. Attachment to mother or mother figure was almost equally very high among reference and control subjects and, hence, was not associated with later addiction.

Abstract This paper examines whether narcotic abusers known to the Maryland Narcotic Addicts Register are indigent. Samples were drawn from this register and several determinations made as to their membership in populations receiving: medical assistance, public assistance (past and present), residing in public housing or in a low income area. Overall, the proportion of narcotic abusers defined as indigent ranged from 82% to 8.5% for Baltimore City residents However, this same finding did not hold true for those in Maryland counties.

This is a report of fieldwork methodology and preliminary findings from a controlled retrospective study of vulnerability to narcotic addiction comparing three groups of males closely matched by neighborhood, age, and race: a community-wide sample of narcotic addicts; a nonaddicted control sample of age-eleven peer associates of the addicts; and a nonaddicted community control sample of age-eleven peers who did not associate with the addicts. Fieldwork experience and preliminary findings suggest a strong selective association between friendship and deviance among narcotic addicts and their age-eleven associates — a relationship that is much less common in the two control groups, particularly community controls. Association with older deviants was also more characteristic of addicts than for the peer or community controls. Experience in the study also attests to the feasibility and merit of capturing historical data via retrospective, reconstructive sampling methods.