This study examines the precursors of violent behavior among urban, racial/ethnic minority adults. Data are from an on-going study of male and female African Americans and Puerto Ricans, interviewed at four time waves, Time 1-Time 4 (T1-T4), from adolescence to adulthood. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the developmental pathways, beginning in mid-adolescence (T1; X̄ age=14.0 years), to violent behavior in adulthood (T4; X̄ age=29.2 years). The variables assessed were: components of externalizing behaviors (i.e., rebelliousness, delinquency; T1, T3); illicit drug use (T2); peer delinquency (T2); perceived neighborhood crime (T4); and violent behavior (T3, T4). Results showed that the participants' externalizing behaviors (rebelliousness and delinquency) were relatively stable from mid-adolescence (T1; X̄ age=14.0 years) to early adulthood (T3; X̄ age=24.4 years). The participants' externalizing behaviors in mid-adolescence also had a direct pathway to peer delinquency in late adolescence (T2; X̄ age=19.1 years). Peer delinquency, in turn, had a direct pathway to the participants' illicit drug use in late adolescence (T2), and to externalizing behaviors in early adulthood (T3). The participants' illicit drug use (T2; X̄ age=19.1 years) had both direct and indirect paths to violent behavior in adulthood (T4). The participants' externalizing behaviors in early adulthood (T3) were linked with violent behavior at T3, and perceived neighborhood crime (T4), both of which had direct pathways to violent behavior in adulthood (T4). The findings suggest developmental periods during which externalizing behaviors, exposure to delinquent peers, illegal drug use, and neighborhood crime could be targeted by prevention and intervention programs in order to reduce violent behavior.

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This article summarizes the existing literature on the relationship between adolescent drug use and abuse and the development of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. In recent years, there has been increased awareness of the co-occurrence of drug abuse and psychiatric disorders in adolescence and young adulthood. Few longitudinal studies, however, have examined specifically the impact of earlier drug use and abuse on later psychiatric disorders. The literature suggests three possible models to explain the relation between drug use and abuse and psychiatric disorders. According to the first model, adolescent psychiatric disorders precede drug use and abuse. A second model postulates that psychiatric disorders and drug use are correlated because they share one or more common aetiological factor(s). The third model posits that drug use and abuse predict or precede certain psychiatric disorders. We present data from a recent longitudinal study to support this latter model. As drug use and abuse have been shown to increase the likelihood of psychiatric disorders, it is clear that medical attention needs to be given to adolescents who use drugs of abuse. It is expected that a decrease in adolescent drug abuse should lead to an accompanying reduction in later psychiatric disorders.

Objective To examine the relationship between trajectories of cigarette smoking among a community sample of women (N=498) and insomnia in late mid-life. Methods Participants were administered structured interviews at four time waves in adulthood, spanning approximately 25 years (mean ages=40, 43, 48, and 65 years). At each wave, data were collected on participants’ cigarette smoking. At the most recent time wave, in late-mid-life, participants reported on their insomnia (difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, early morning wakening, and daytime consequences of these sleep problems). Results Growth mixture modeling extracted four trajectory groups of cigarette smoking (from mean ages 40–65 years): chronic heavy smokers, moderate smokers, late quitters, and non-smokers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis then examined the relationship between participants’ probabilities of trajectory group membership and insomnia in late mid-life, with controls for age, educational level, marital status, depressive symptoms, body mass index, and the number of health conditions. Compared with the non-smokers group, members of the chronic heavy smoking trajectory group were more likely to report insomnia at mean age 65 (Adjusted Odds Ratio=2.76; 95% confidence interval = 1.10–6.92; p<0.05). Conclusions Smoking cessation programs and clinicians treating female patients in mid-life should be aware that chronic, heavy smoking in adulthood is a significant risk-factor for insomnia.