Abstract
We combine a variety of census and archival data to assess the relationships between social area characteristics and substance use. We found a substantial association between social area characteristics and substance use. We focus on intra and inter community, family, school and individual domain correlations to produce a prevention need-based score to rank communities from high to low need areas. Our analyses support the general risk and protective factor model advocated by Hawkins et al. (1992). As an important outcome of this work we suggest an objective criterion for selecting variables for the final model of the social indicators; suggest a set of weights for the selected factors and validate the selected factors with regard to substance abuse by linking the social indicator database to substance abuse outcome measures from another independent database. The selection criterion was based on intra domain correlations and proved to be robust. The weights were proportional to the information conveyed by each extracted factor. Analyses of intra-domain correlations are useful in identifying the types of prevention programs needed for each municipal area. Analyses of inter-domain correlations resulted in producing an overall need score based on social area characteristics. Many of the domains revealed more than one dimension, especially the school and the community/environment domains. Our analysis supports the use of social area characteristics in predicting the need for substance abuse prevention and treatment. It also suggests cautious and well informed decisions in selecting the indicators for a need based model.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Bauer, R. A. (ed.): 1966, Social Indicators (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA).
Cagle, L. T. and S.M. Banks: 1986, 'The validity of assessing mental health needs with social indicators', Evaluation and Program Planning 9, pp. 127–142.
Campbell, A. and P. E. Converse: 1972, The Human Meaning of Social Change (Russell Sage Foundation, New York).
Duncan, O. D.: 1969, 'Towards social reporting: Next steps', Social Science Frontiers (2) (Russell Sage Foundation, New York).
Duncan, O. D.: 1975, 'Measuring social change via replication of surveys', in Land and Spilerman (eds.), Social IndicatorsModels (Russell Sage Foundation, New York).
Goldsmith, H. F., J. P. Shambaugh, C. D. Windle and B. M. Rosen: 1976, Demographic Structure of Mental Health Catchment Areas: Principal Component Factor Analysis with Varimax Rotation of 18 Factors (MHDP Working Paper N0. 35) (National Institute of Mental Health, Adelphi, MD).
Hawkins, D., R. Catalano and J. Miller: 1992, 'Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early childhood: Implications for substance abuse prevention', Psychological Bulletin 112(1), pp. 64–105.
Horn, R. V.: 1993, Statistical Indicators for Economic and Social Sciences (Cambridge University Press).
Kamis-Gould, E., J. Walzer and S. Minsky: 1987, The 1986 Need-Based Plan for The New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Hospitals. Bureau of Research and Evaluation. Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Hospitals, New Jersey.
Long J. S.: 1983, Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Sage University Papers #33 (SAGE Publications).
Mammo, A. and J. French: 1996, 'On the construction of a relative needs assessment scale', Substance Use and Misuse 13(6), pp. 735–765.
Nelson, S. H.: 1980, 'Performance and need factors for fiscal year 1981–82 allocation', Mental Health Bulletin No. 5000-80-01 (Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Harrisburg, PA).
Ross, P. J., H. Bluestone and F. K. Hines: 1979, Indicators of Social Well-Being for U.S. Counties. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Research Report No. 10, Washington D.C.
Ryan, J. A.: 1996, A Chartbook of County Social and Health Indicators. Research and Information Systems, Division of Addiction Services, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
Ryan, J. and A. I. Abdelrahman: 1996, Municipal Profiles of Social and Health Indicators. Research and Information Systems, Division of Addiction Services, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
Sheldon, E. B. and K. C. Land: 1972. 'social reporting for the 1970's: A review and programmatic statement', Policy Sciences 3 (Summer), pp. 137–151.
Sheldon, E. B. and H. E. Freeman: 1970, 'Notes on social indicators: Promises and potential', Policy Sciences 1 (April), pp. 97–111.
Siegel, L.M., C. C. Attkisson and A. H. Cohn: 1974. 'Mental health needs assessment: Strategies and techniques', in W. A. Hargreaves, C. C. Attkisson, L. M. Siegel and M. H. McIntyre (eds.), Resource Materials for Community Mental Health Program Evaluation: Part II. Needs Assessment and Planning (National Institute for Mental Health, San Francisco), pp. 3–103.
Simeone, R. S., F. Blanche and Z. Aryan: 1993, 'Needs assessment in substance misuse: A comparison of approaches and case study', The International Journal of the Addictions 28(8), pp. 767–792.
U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare: 1969, Toward A Social Report (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C.).
Warheit, G. J., C. E. Holzer III, R. A. Bell and S. A. Arey: 1979, 'social indicators and mental health planning: An empirical case study', Community Mental Health Journal 15, pp. 94–103.
Zautra, A. and L. S. Simon: 1978, 'An assessment of a community's mental health needs', American Journal of Community Psychology 6, pp. 351–362.
Zautra, A. and D. Goodhart: 1979, 'Quality of life indicators: A review of the literature', Community Mental Health Review 4, pp. 3–10.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ryan, J.A., Abdelrahman, A., French, J.F. et al. Social Indicators of Substance Abuse Prevention: A Need-Based Assessment. Social Indicators Research 46, 23–60 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006849108474
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006849108474