TITLE:
Utilizing a Qualitative and Quantitative Approach to Examine Substance Use and Parental Communication among African American Youth
AUTHORS:
Kimberly Boyd, Patrice Perkins, Byron Greenberg, Leah Stevens
KEYWORDS:
Substance Use, African American Youth, Parent-Child Communication
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.5 No.15,
October
27,
2014
ABSTRACT: Objective:
The present study examined the communication patterns between children and parents
regarding substance use and abuse issues. Method: The participants for the study
were 111 youth and young adults (59.8% female/40.2% male). The youth were between
the ages of 13 - 18. Results: Findings from the study supported the hypothesis.
Results demonstrated that higher family cohesion suggested lower drug use. However,
findings also identified a potential gap in the communication process among parents
and youth. The majority of the youth from the qualitative analysis who admitted
to using drugs stated that their parents usually say, “Do not use drugs.” However,
their parents “have never provided open discussions about drugs.” Conclusion: This
project expands our knowledge on parental communication and drug use among youth.
A continuation of this research would assist with providing a deeper understanding
of the parent-child relationship and drug use and abuse among African American youth.