Examined scenes taken from eight seasons of prime-time television programs beginning in 1976 which depicted incidents involving youth and drinking. Scenes were evaluated as to their appropriateness with respect to youth and alcohol. Results indicated that young people were seldom seen drinking, with the exception of troubled youths. Suggestions…

Investigated relationship between alcohol use and misuse and personality in 347 high school students. Students completed measures of alcohol involvement and personality. Results demonstrated that as adolescents increasingly became involved with alcohol, the more their personality characteristics differed from those of adolescents not involved or…

Examined African-American adolescents' use of alcohol and their perceptions of their family environments. Alcohol-using adolescents (n=71) completed Family Environment Scale (FES). Analyses of data revealed that females differed significantly from males on 4 of 10 FES subscales. Findings support view that alcohol affects perception of family…

Examined 43 unplanned pregnancies in 14-21 year olds. Explored alcohol use, amount of alcohol consumed, use of other drugs, planning of intercourse, nonuse of contraception, demographics. Findings suggest that drug or alcohol use may have been factor in pregnancy risk taking for some subjects; that women may be more psychologically vulnerable to…

Fifteen techniques to limit or stop alcohol consumption were rated by 94 adolescents, aged 12 to 19, and their parents. Factor analysis of effectiveness ratings demonstrated consistency in appraisal of adult options for coping strategies, but significant differences in adolescent and parent views of how teenagers should cope with drinking…

Studies characteristics of 70 adolescents who affiliate with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Participants completed in-patient treatment and were contacted as part of follow-up survey. Half had affiliated with AA. Used discriminant analysis to predict affiliation. Found affiliators were more likely to have had prior treatment, friends who did not use…

Administered Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test to subjects over age 18. Among late adolescents (aged 18 to 20), lonely females had highest mean scores, indicating higher degree of alcoholism risk than lonely males and nonlonely subjects. For males, loneliness appeared to increase alcoholism risk, not in late adolescence, but during early…

A 3-year follow-up study of alcohol prevention among 4,406 children showed that neither a comprehensive school curriculum nor a community intervention was successful in preventing adolescent drinking. Predictor variables for drinking are examined and the importance of tolerance and encouragement of drinking by adult role models are noted. (Author)

Compares alcohol use among Mexican-American and White non-Hispanic school dropouts, and among students in good academic standing. Results indicate that dropouts are at a higher risk for alcohol use and misuse. Discusses implications in terms of prevalence and prevention. (Author/GCP)

Examined substance use among rural black and rural white students (n=1,915). Found that black males were significantly less likely than white males to drink alcohol; get drunk; smoke cigarettes; or use smokeless tobacco, hallucinogens, and sedatives. Black females were significantly less likely than white females to drink alcohol; get drunk; smoke…

Findings indicated that high school and college students who drank frequently were more depressed than students who drank less often. However, frequent drinkers recorded higher self-esteem scores than less-frequent drinkers, contrary to findings in other studies. (RJM)

Investigated relationship between peer groups and incidence of psychosocial problems among 241 adolescents. Found that group with lowest level of involvement in school activities was labeled negatively by others. Least involved group had most positive attitudes toward alcohol/drug use; lowest levels of perceived harm from alcohol/drugs; and…