Pattern and progression of drug use among hyperactives and controls: a prospective short-term longitudinal study.

The pattern and progression in drug use across a 1-year interval was investigated for 54 hyperactives and 47 controls aged 13-18. Initiation and use rates between groups at Time 1 and Time 2 also were studied. Patterns of drug usage differed slightly between hyperactives and controls, with the hyperactives showing greater involvement with cigarettes. As well, the data for progression in use across the 1-year interval showed that hyperactives were by-and-large less predictable than controls in the progression of their drug use. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.