Tracking substance use across adulthood (ages 19–65)
Monitoring the Future: A Cohort-Sequential Panel Study of Drug Use, Ages 19-65
This project follows people from age 19 to 65 with web surveys to learn how drug, alcohol, and tobacco use changes over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11312577 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
I would be invited to complete web-based surveys that revisit people who were first surveyed in high school at modal ages 19–30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65. The surveys ask about use of over 50 legal and illegal substances, symptoms of substance use disorders, attitudes, perceived availability, mental health, and social roles like work and family. The project combines decades of data from thousands of people across the U.S. to map long-term patterns in starting, stopping, and changing substance use. Researchers use these repeated measures to identify life stages and risk or protective factors linked to changes in substance use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are U.S. adults around ages 19–65 who can complete web surveys and are willing to report honestly about their substance use and life circumstances.
Not a fit: People under 19 or those seeking immediate medical treatment for addiction may not directly benefit from this long-term observational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could help public health programs and clinicians target prevention and treatment at the ages and life stages when people are most likely to start, escalate, or quit substance use.
How similar studies have performed: Monitoring the Future has run since 1975 and is a leading national source of trends in youth and adult substance use, providing reliable evidence used by researchers and policymakers.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patrick, Megan E. — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Patrick, Megan E.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.