Evidence of depressive symptoms in children of substance abusers

The authors investigate the affective and academic functioning of children of substance abusers as possible precursors to later substance-abusing behavior. Thirty-five children of substance abusers and 37 children of non-substance abusers were compared on measures of depression, state and trait anxiety, and three standardized measures of academic ability (reading, spelling, and arithmetic). Children of substance abusers scored significantly lower on depression, trait anxiety, and arithmetic. While there are many implications for these results, the authors discuss their findings with regard to implications for preventive interventions and outline two areas of research necessary for understanding the potential meanings of these results.