Adolescent Problem Behaviors as Predictors of Adult Alcohol Diagnoses

Young adult alcohol problems based on DIS/DSM III diagnoses were predicted from a number of adolescent risky/antisocial behaviors in a sample of 693 subjects. The number of times an individual was intoxicated before his/her sixteenth birthday was the best indicator of adult alcohol "abuse" and /or dependence, with adolescent fighting, arrests, and lack of participation in religious activities also serving as important problem behavior predictors. Results of correlational and principal-components analyses of adolescent problem behaviors are similar to previous work on Problem Behavior Theory. The results suggest that prevention efforts should begin before adolescence, prior to the time when individuals are exposed to, or begin practicing, adult health-threatening activities.