Woodlawn Mental Health Longitudinal Community Epidemiological Project, 1966-1976

The purpose of the study was to prospectively investigate the mental health of children as they enter first grade and progress through their early school years and into adolescence with a particular focus on the evolving role of such environmental influences as family structure, school atmosphere, and neighborhood on psychological well-being. Investigators were especially interested in identifying factors associated with increased risk of adolescent substance dependence and abuse and determining and designing preventive interventions for subsequent substance dependence and abuse. The original sample consisted of four cohorts of first grade African American children residing in a poor urban community on the south side of Chicago. Cohorts were enrolled annually 1964 through 1967. The third cohort of first graders (1966-1967) also included interviews with the participants' mothers; they were followed-up in 1976 when the children were teenagers. Clinical measures (e.g.,"How I feel" schedule; Mother Symptom Inventory) assessed the child's and mother's reported functioning and experience of symptoms. Educational measures were included to evaluate child's aptitude, readiness for learning, and classroom performance. Family structure and organization were assessed through an interview with mother. At the adolescent follow-up, a questionnaire assessed frequency of drug use, reports of family practices and values regarding affection and rules, self-reported delinquency, sexual behavior and attitudes. The Murray Archive holds additional analogue materials for this study (a core sample of 1242 children, with additional data on approximately 200 more participants; also data for 1388 mothers at Time I [1966] and 939 mothers at Time III [1976]). If you would like to access this material, please apply to use the data. Follow-up of study participants is not possible. Use of data requires submission of a two to three page research proposal for review and approval by a screening committee.