Epidemiology of Substance Abuse

Denise B. Kandel, Ph.D., Chief of Psychiatric Research
Pamela Griesler, Ph.D., Research Scientist IV
Christine Schaffran, M.S., Research Scientist III
Mei-Chen Hu, Ph.D., Staff Associate (Columbia University)
Jessica Samuolis, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (Columbia University)

OVERVIEW
This department investigates the natural history of drug involvement, the risk factors and consequences of drug abuse, and comorbidity of substance abuse with problem behaviors and psychiatric disorders in adolescents and adults. Cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence represent a major focus of current research activities with an emphasis on (1) the natural history of nicotine dependence; (2) ethnic differences in the etiology of adolescent smoking; and (3) the impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy and postnatally on smoking and behavior problems in offspring. A major current research activity is a longitudinal follow-up of the transition to nicotine dependence in adolescence. A major goal of the study is to examine the comorbidity, sequencing and reciprocal effects between depression and other psychiatric disorders, smoking and nicotine dependence.

CURRENT RESEARCH
This past year, D. Kandel and her colleagues continued their work on the epidemiology of smoking and nicotine dependence. They implemented a major longitudinal study of The Transition to Nicotine Dependence in Adolescence. The aims of the study are to monitor the natural history of nicotine dependence in adolescence and to identify risk and protective factors in different ethnic groups. A two-stage design was implemented. In Phase I, 15,763 6th-10th graders were surveyed in the Chicago Public Schools. In Phase II, a cohort of 1,236 adolescents composed of whites, African Americans and Hispanics, was selected from the students in the school survey and is being followed at six month intervals over a period of two years. Three intensive annual interviews are conducted with adolescents and their mothers, and psychiatric disorders are assessed; two shorter interim interviews are conducted. At each interview, saliva samples are collected in order to determine nicotine metabolism among current smokers. To date, Wave 1 interviews have been completed with 1,039 adolescents and their mothers and Wave 2 interviews with 1,000 adolescents. In addition, analyses are being conducted in a national representative sample of young adults to examine the epidemiology and correlates of nicotine dependence, including initial sensitivity to the smoking experience.

AWARDS AND HONORS
Dr. Kandel received the 2003 Prevention Science Award from the Society for Prevention Research

GRANTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
M. Rosaria Galanti, Denise Kandel, Christine Schaffran, Ann Post and Pamela Griesler. “Patterns of Non-Response to Nicotine Dependence Scales Among Adolescents.” Presented at the 10th annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, February 18-21, Scottsdale, AZ, 2004.

Denise B. Kandel. “The Natural History of Smoking and Nicotine Dependence.” In Proceedings of Symposium on Addictions: Impact on Canada. Royal Society of Canada. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 2003.

Denise B. Kandel, Gebre-Egziabher Kiros, Christine Schaffran and Mei-Chen Hu. “Racial/Ethnic Differences in Cigarette Smoking Initiation and Progression to Daily Smoking: A Multilevel Analysis”. American Journal of Public Health, 2004, 94:128-135.

Denise B. Kandel, Christine Schaffran, Pamela Griesler., Jessica Samuolis, Mark Davies and M. Rosaria Galanti. “On the Measurement of Nicotine Dependence in Adolescence: Comparisons of the mFTQ and a DSM-IV based Scale.” Presented at the 10th annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, February 18-21, Scottsdale, AZ, 2004.

Denise B. Kandel, Christine Schaffran, Pamela Griesler, Jessica Samuolis, Mark Davies and M. Rosaria Galanti. “On the Measurement of Nicotine Dependence in Adolescence: Comparisons of the FTND and a DSM-IV Based Scale”. Journal of Pediatric Psychology (in press).