Three-year follow-up of 100 vagrant adolescent drug abusers in Oslo

One hundred homeless adolescents were interviewed in 1971 when they still were active drug abusers. The same group was followed-up 3 years later in 1974 with personal interviews. All were traced, with the exception of three individuals residing in foreign countries and four who had died. At follow-up one third were abstinent and were well adapted socially, one third showed an uncertain social adaptation, and one third were still addicted and had a poor social adaptation. The various factors responsible for their psycho-social development and relation to drug abuse are discussed.