ABSTRACT
We began this volume by noting some of the changes in drug abuse research that have occurred in the 20 years since the publication of NIDA’s monograph on multivariate techniques for analyzing substance abuse data (Bentler, Lettieri, & Austin, 1976). Compared to studies conducted 20 years ago, current research on substance use and abuse focuses on questions of change over time, and routinely generates complex longitudinal data sets with multiple waves of assessments. Researchers are interested in trajectories of substance use and substance use-related impairment both to describe the natural history of drug use, and to evaluate the results of prevention and treatment interventions. Moreover, research has moved beyond simple description to an interest in theory testing and in identifying the processes underlying changes in substance use and abuse over time. Thus, in addition to describing trajectories of use and changes in use because of intervention, current research seeks to understand etiological processes as well as the processes underlying effective interventions.
