DOI: 10.3886/icpsr13591
title: Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN): Family Mental Health and Legal History, Wave 1, 1994-1997
title: Archival Version

description: The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) was a large-scale, interdisciplinary study of how families, schools, and neighborhoods affect child and adolescent development. One component of the PHDCN was the Longitudinal Cohort Study, which was a series of coordinated longitudinal studies that followed over 6,000 randomly selected children, adolescents, and young adults, and their primary caregivers over time to examine the changing circumstances of their lives, as well as the personal characteristics, that might lead them toward or away from a variety of antisocial behaviors. Numerous measures were administered to respondents to gauge various aspects of human development, including individual differences, as well as family, peer, and school influences. One such measure was the Family Mental Health and Legal History assessment, administered to the primary caregivers of subjects belonging to Cohorts 0 to 18. It included questions designed to obtain family members' history of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and any involvement with the law.
description: <strong>Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods</strong> The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) was a large-scale, interdisciplinary study of how families, schools, and neighborhoods affect child and adolescent development. It was designed to advance the understanding of the developmental pathways of both positive and negative human social behaviors. In particular, the project examined the causes and pathways of juvenile delinquency, adult crime, substance abuse, and violence. At the same time, the project provided a detailed look at the environments in which these social behaviors took place by collecting substantial amounts of data about urban Chicago, including its people, institutions, and resources. <strong>Longitudinal Cohort Study</strong> One component of the PHDCN was the Longitudinal Cohort Study, which was a series of coordinated longitudinal studies that followed over 6,000 randomly selected children, adolescents, and young adults, and their primary caregivers over time to examine the changing circumstances of their lives, as well as the personal characteristics, that might lead them toward or away from a variety of antisocial behaviors. The age cohorts include birth (0), 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 years. Numerous measures were administered to respondents to gauge various aspects of human development, including individual differences, as well as family, peer, and school influences. <strong>Family Mental Health and Legal History</strong> The Family Mental Health and Legal History instrument was administered in order to report on characteristics of the subject's family. The data files contain information from this protocol, which was designed to provide a family history of mental health and legal-related issues such as history of depression, suicide, substance abuse, and involvement with the law.
description: <strong>Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods</strong> The city of Chicago was selected as the research site for the PHDCN because of its extensive racial, ethnic, and social-class diversity. The project collapsed 847 census tracts in the city of Chicago into 343 neighborhood clusters (NCs) based upon seven groupings of racial/ethnic composition and three levels of socioeconomic status. The NCs were designed to be ecologically meaningful. They were composed of geographically contiguous census tracts, and geographic boundaries and knowledge of Chicago's neighborhoods were considered in the definition of the NCs. Each NC was comprised of approximately 8,000 people. <strong>Longitudinal Cohort Study</strong> For the Longitudinal Cohort Study, a stratified probability sample of 80 neighborhoods was selected. The 80 NCs were sampled from the 21 strata (seven racial/ethnic groups by three socioeconomic levels) with the goal of representing the 21 cells as equally as possible to eliminate the confounding between racial/ethnic mix and socioeconomic status. Once the 80 NCs were chosen, then block groups were selected at random within each of the sample neighborhoods. A complete listing of dwelling units was collected for all sampled block groups. Pregnant women, children, and young adults in seven age cohorts (birth, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 years) were identified through in-person screening of approximately 40,000 dwelling units within the 80 NCs. The screening response rate was 80 percent. Children within six months of the birthday that qualified them for the sample were selected for inclusion in the Longitudinal Cohort Study. A total of 8,347 participants were identified through the screening. Of the eligible study participants, 6,228 were interviewed. For all cohorts except 0 and 18, primary caregivers as well as the child were interviewed. The primary caregiver was the person found to spend the most time taking care of the child. Separate research assistants administered the primary caregiver interviews and the child interviews. The primary method of data collection was face-to-face interviewing, although participants who refused to complete the personal interview were administered a phone interview. Interviews were conducted in Spanish, English, and Polish. In Wave 1 the complete protocol was translated into Spanish and Polish. An interpreter was hired for participants who spoke a language other than English, Spanish, or Polish. Depending on the age and wave of data collection, participants were paid between $5 and $20 per interview. Other incentives, such as free passes to museums, the aquarium, and monthly drawing prizes were also included. Interview protocols included a wide range of questions. For example, some questions assessed impulse control and sensation-seeking traits, cognitive and language development, leisure activities, delinquency and substance abuse, friends' activities, and self-perception, attitudes, and values. Caregivers were also interviewed about family structure, parent characteristics, parent-child relationships, parent discipline styles, family mental health, and family history of criminal behavior and drug use. <strong>Family Mental Health and Legal History</strong> Administered between 1994 and 1997, the Family Mental Health and Legal History instrument was completed by primary caregivers of subjects belonging to Cohorts 0 to 18 of the PHDCN Longitudinal Cohort Study. Respondents answered either "Yes" or "No" to questions inquiring about the family's history with alcohol and drug abuse, depression, nervous breakdowns, suicide, frequent fighting, trouble keeping a job, and frequent discipline problems. For each "Yes" response, respondents also provided the family member's relation to the subject (e.g., biological, nonbiological, maternal, paternal, or parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or other). Up to 15 family members could have been mentioned for each question asked. The instrument was also used to gather information on treatment and hospitalization for substance abuse or emotional problems. For those family members mentioned as having a history of mental health issues, questions were asked concerning any trouble they may have had with the police, if they had ever been arrested, and whether they were serving any time in a jail or prison.
description: In addition to the variables containing the responses to the Family Mental Health and Legal History instrument, the data contain administrative variables that record identification numbers for respondents and interviewers, cohort, and wave number, as well as the time and date each interview was completed.
description: none
description: Response Rates: The overall response rate for Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Cohort Study was 75 percent or 6,228 participants. The response rates by cohort were: 76.2 percent (1,269) for Cohort 0 76.6 percent (1,003) for Cohort 3 75.0 percent (980) for Cohort 6 75.9 percent (828) for Cohort 9 74.3 percent (820) for Cohort 12 71.6 percent (696) for Cohort 15 70.3 percent (632) for Cohort 18
description: Presence of Common Scales: none
description: Stratified probability sample.
description: Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: Cohort 0 DS2: Cohort 3 DS3: Cohort 6 DS4: Cohort 9 DS5: Cohort 12 DS6: Cohort 15 DS7: Cohort 18
description: Children, adolescents, young adults, and their primary caregivers, living in the city of Chicago in 1994.
description: face-to-face interview; telephone interview(1) The Murray Research Center conducted the initial data and documentation processing for this collection. (2) At present, only a restricted version of the data is available (see RESTRICTIONS field). A downloadable version of the data is slated to be available in the near future.