Familial Factors and Substance Abuse: Implications for Prevention

Several decades of research have revealed that the etiology of drug abuse comprises a complex network of interactive social, biologic, and genetic factors, which exhibits different levels of salience across development. There are several excellent summaries of the extensive literature on risk factors for drug use (Brook et al. 1990; Clayton 1992; Dembo et al. 1985; Hawkins et al. 1992; Kumpfer 1989; Swaim 1991), but far less is known about the risk and protective factors for drug abuse or dependence. Risk factors for drug abuse generally fall into three major domains: the individual, the family, and the social environment, which includes peer, school, neighborhood, and the broader cultural background. This chapter focuses on the role of familial factors in the etiology of substance abuse.