Further Examining the Effect of Marital Status on Illicit Substance Use

• In Event: Life-Course Analyses of Structure, Transitions, and Criminal Behavior

Abstract

Prior research has found that marriage contributes to desistance from a variety of antisocial behaviors including crime and licit substance use (Laub & Sampson 2003). However, certain factors including a lack of research on desistance from illicit substance use, a lack of understanding on how other relationship status besides marriage, such as cohabitation, contribute to desistance, and conflicting influences of peers versus romantic partners on illicit substance use are obstacles that must be addressed before fully understanding how marriage operates in the desistance process. Using Monitoring the Future Restricted-Use Panel Data, this study examines the relationship between marital status and engaging in any illicit substance use over time. I assess whether there are variations in illicit drug use for people who are married or cohabitating compared to times they are unmarried/not cohabitating and if these effects vary due to peer influence. I compare groups of individuals who spend more time married, cohabitating, or unmarried/not cohabitating on average, to see if their illicit substance use varies. I also assess if individuals’ illicit substance use varies over time due to changes in marital status or peer influence. Results and directions for future research will be discussed.

Author

• Sarah Kirk, University of Missouri-St. Louis