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. 2016 Jun;57(2):223-39.
doi: 10.1177/0022146516646808.

Pathways from Early Childhood Adversity to Later Adult Drug Use and Psychological Distress: A Prospective Study of a Cohort of African Americans

Kate Fothergill  1 , Margaret E Ensminger  1 , Elaine E Doherty  2 , Hee-Soon Juon  3 , Kerry M Green  4
Affiliations

Pathways from Early Childhood Adversity to Later Adult Drug Use and Psychological Distress: A Prospective Study of a Cohort of African Americans

Kate Fothergill et al. J Health Soc Behav. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Drawing on the life course perspective, this research addresses the direct and indirect pathways between childhood adversity and midlife psychological distress and drug use across a majority of the life span in an African American cohort (N = 1,242) followed from age 6 to 42 (1966 to 2002). Results from structural equation models highlight the impact of low childhood socioeconomic status (SES), poor maternal mental health, and the role of first-grade maladaptation in launching a trajectory of social maladaptation from age 6 to 42. Specifically, for men, we found a direct pathway from early low SES to drug use in mid adulthood and an indirect pathway to psychological distress through first-grade maladaptation and adolescent poor mental health. For females, early SES affected first-grade maladaptation and low school bonds, which then predicted later drug use.

Keywords: adversity; classroom behavior; family bonds; psychological distress; school bonds; substance use.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conceptual Framework.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The Woodlawn Data Set.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Female Model with Full-information Maximum Likelihood Standardized Estimates. Note: Rectangles represent observed variables; ellipses represent latent variables. Arrows represent significant pathways (solid lines, p < .05; dashed lines, p < .10). Two-headed arrows represent significant correlations with p < .05. Nonsignificant paths are not shown, except for marginally significant paths (p < .10) from first-grade adversity indicators to early or mid-adulthood outcomes.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Male Model with Full-information Maximum Likelihood Standardized Estimates. Note: Rectangles represent observed variables; ellipses represent latent variables. Arrows represent significant pathways (solid lines, p < .05; dashed lines, p < .10). Two-headed arrows represent significant correlations with p < .05. Nonsignificant paths are not shown, except for marginally significant paths (p < .10) from first-grade adversity indicators to early or mid-adulthood outcomes.
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