Research Methods in the Study of Substance Abuse

This authoritative handbook reviews the most widely-used methods for studying the use and abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs. Its thorough coverage spans the range of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches to documenting and measuring the complex psychological, behavioral, and physical experience of substance misuse and dependence, to ensure valid, useful results. Experts discuss special issues and considerations for conducting ethical research with specialized populations, including youth, inmates, and the LGBT community. Throughout these chapters, contributors demonstrate the multidisciplinary nature of substance abuse research, with emphasis on professional ethics and the critical role of research in developing best practices and effective policy for prevention and treatment.

Among the topics covered:

· Transdisciplinary research perspective: a theoretical framework for substance abuse research

· Longitudinal methods in substance use research

· Considerations in blending qualitative and quantitative components in substance abuse research

· The use of biological measures in social research on drug misuse

· Using surveys to study substance use behavior

· Applications of GIS to inform substance abuse research and interventions

· Evaluating substance use prevention and treatment programs

Research Methods in the Study of Substance Abuse is an essential resource for health services and public health professionals, policymakers, and researchers working and training in the field of addiction. It encourages the rigor and understanding necessary to address widespread social and public health concerns.

Jonathan B. VanGeest, PhD

Jonathan VanGeest is a Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Kent State University. His main areas of expertise include racial and ethnic disparities in health care, limited health literacy, and care outcomes associated with structural changes in medicine. He also has extensive experience in survey research methodology, program evaluation and research on substance abuse issues among homeless persons and other marginalized risk groups.

Timothy P. Johnson, PhD

Timothy Johnson is the Director of the Survey Research Laboratory and a Professor in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His main areas of expertise include health disparities, survey methodology and health behaviors in disadvantaged populations. Within the field of survey methodology, his work has focused primarily on sources of measurement and nonresponse error. Johnson has also invested considerable effort in examining the health behaviors of disadvantaged populations. Among the disadvantaged populations he has worked with are homeless persons, immigrants, cultural minorities, criminal justice populations and mental health populations. Some of the health behaviors he has examined among these populations include cancer screening, nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol consumption and drug abuse.

Sonia Alemagno, PhD

Sonia Alemagno is the Dean of the College of Public Health and a Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Kent State University. She has focused her research on substance abuse and HIV/STD prevention, particularly examining public health services delivered within criminal justice settings such as prisons and detention centers. Honors include a National Institutes of Health Career Development Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Akron Outstanding Researcher Award in 2005. In addition, she has been the principal investigator on research projects and Small Business Innovation Research funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institute of Justice and the SAMSHA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.