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Research on marijuana smoking among adults has raised questions about whether such behavior is essentially maladaptive. Drawing from their study of the role of marijuana in the psychosocial adaptation of long-term, heavy adult users, the authors explore the meaning this behavior appears to have for such individuals. On the basis of questionnaire results obtained from 150 chronic marijuana-smoking adults, use of the drug was not found to be linked with maladaptive functioning in any consistent behavioral sense. Intensive interviews with a smaller number of subjects revealed a quite different picture, however, pointing to a relationship between heavy marijuana use and significant adaptive difficulties in the areas of work and personal relationships. While suggesting the need to use psychodynamic, as well as social variables, in defining marijuana abuse, the authors caution against concluding a causal linkage between the drug behavior and users' difficulties in psychosocial functioning.

Despite substantial attention to the problem of suicide among college students over the past several decades, reports on the extent of the problem have been largely inconclusive. This article reviews the findings of major studies of college suicide, noting how variations in campus and student characteristics, as well as inconsistencies in the way student suicides are defined and measured, have limited comparison of conclusions. Current evidence is reviewed that points to significant mental health problems on college campuses and suggests the need for outreach programs to identify students at risk for suicide and encourage them into treatment. One such program under development by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is described in detail. Problems related to its implementation are identified and discussed, notably the reluctance of many university officials to know the actual identities of suicidal students.