Behavioral and Familial Correlates of Episodic Heroin Abuse among Suburban Adolescents

Abstract

Behavioral and familial correlates of predominantly White, suburban heroin abusers were investigated to determine whether such abuse was self-contained experimentation or suggestive of generalized personality disorders and impaired family relationships. Twenty of 296 male high school students recruited from 10 middle-class suburban schools had engaged in episodic heroin abuse. Of 29 antisocial behaviors other than heroin abuse assessed, heroin abusers engaged in 16 significantly more frequently. Heroin abusers found their fathers to be significantly less nice, honest, strong. and kind than did nonabusers, according to semantic differential technique. They found themselves to be significantly less strong than did nonabusers, suggesting failure to model themselves after adequately coping fathers. Heroin abusers also found their mothers to be significantly less fair, honest, and valuable than did nonabusers. It was concluded that episodic heroin abuse among suburban adolescents is suggestive both of generalized antisocial behavior and of impaired family relationships.