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The longitudinal Monitoring the Future (MTF) Panel study extends the work of the cross-sectional MTF Main study by following a subsample of graduating seniors through the entire adult life course. The selected respondents are surveyed every two years from ages 19-30. Starting at age 35, respondents are surveyed every five years, at ages 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 (FZ surveys). The FZ surveys cover many of the same topics as the 12th grade and follow-up surveys and include additional questions on life events and health.

This study contains only the age 35 survey data for the MTF longitudinal panel study participants that have reached age 35 (FZ1) through the 2021 data collection.

NOTE: Users must also request the core panel data file: MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Core Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39223) because demographic information (e.g. sex, race/ethnicity) for the participants of the age 35 survey is included in the core panel data file.

Researchers can merge the Age 35 (FZ1) study data file with other MTF follow-up data in this series. This includes:

• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Core Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39223)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 1 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39282)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 2 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39325)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 3 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39389)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 4 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39326)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 5 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39283)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 6 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1989-2021 (ICPSR 39388)
• MTF: Age 40-45 Panel Data, 1998-2021 [Restricted-Use] (ICPSR 39767)
• Forthcoming: MTF Panel Data for Ages 50-55, and 60

In addition to questions about lifetime, annual, and 30-day substance use, the Age 35 (FZ1) survey also includes questions covering:

• Substance use and its consequences (alcohol, marijuana/cannabis, other illicit drugs, substance use disorder symptoms)
• Methods of marijuana/cannabis use
• Own attitudes and perceptions about substance use
• Living arrangements and household characteristics
• Dating, marriage, and significant relationships
• Parenthood and family
• Employment: experiences, income, financial security, satisfaction
• Leisure time
• Local and global concerns
• Political interest and preferences
• Happiness; satisfaction with life domains and self
• Psychosocial constructs: self-esteem, locus of control, loneliness, risk-taking, boredom
• Health symptoms, healthy behaviors, COVID-19

Please see the study documentation available on the MTF Panel series page for question-specific details, including content areas included in all survey forms.

HIGHLIGHTS of this update:

• Missing data coding has been changed/simplified in this release. Please see the User Guide for details.
• Panel analysis weights are now included in the data file instead of a stand-alone file. Please see the updated documentation for information.

Please be alert for variable coding differences between paper and web survey versions, especially for questions skipped based on answers to other questions. Note the following:

• The web-based version of the survey was introduced in 2020.
• Paper vs. Web coding differences will be most noticeable for the questions related to substance use, relationship/marital status, employment, and family composition.
• Users will need to explore their data using V35035 (89940:FZ PAPER OR WEB - RESPONSE) to look for and understand any coding differences.

Extensive work has been done to document the history and use of the MTF substance use disorder questions and criteria. Please see Substance use disorder criteria sums in the Monitoring the Future Panel Study (Occasional Paper No. 101)

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.

The longitudinal Monitoring the Future (MTF) Panel study extends the work of the cross-sectional MTF Main study by following a subsample of graduating seniors through the entire adult life course. The selected respondents are surveyed every two years from ages 19-30. Starting at age 35, respondents are surveyed every five years, at ages 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 (FZ surveys). The FZ surveys cover many of the same topics as the 12th grade and follow-up surveys and include additional questions on life events and health.

This study contains only the survey data for age 60 for the MTF longitudinal panel study participants that have reached age 60 (FZ6) through the 2021 data collection.

NOTE: Users must also request the core panel data file: MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Core Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39223) because demographic information (e.g. sex, race/ethnicity) for the participants of the age 60 survey is included in the core panel data file.

Researchers can merge the Age 60 study data file with other MTF follow-up data in this series. This includes:

• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Core Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39223)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 1 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39282)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 2 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39325)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 3 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39389)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 4 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39326)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 5 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39283)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 6 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1989-2021 (ICPSR 39388)
• MTF: Age 35 Panel Data, 1993-2021 [Restricted-Use] (ICPSR 39749)
• MTF: Age 40 and 45 Panel Data, 1998-2021 [Restricted-Use] (ICPSR 39767)
• MTF: Ages 50 and 55 Panel Data, 2008-2021 [Restricted-Use] (ICPSR 39804)

In addition to questions about lifetime, annual, and 30-day substance use, the Age 60 (FZ6) survey also includes questions covering:

• Substance use and its consequences (alcohol, marijuana/cannabis, other illicit drugs, substance use disorder symptoms)
• Methods of marijuana/cannabis use
• Own attitudes and perceptions about substance use
• Living arrangements and household characteristics
• Dating, marriage, and significant relationships
• Family roles, obligations, burdens, emotional support
• Employment/retirement
• Income, financial security, satisfaction
• Community involvement, social issues
• Local and global concerns
• Political interest and preferences
• Happiness; satisfaction with life domains and self
• Psychosocial constructs: self-esteem, locus of control, loneliness, risk-taking, boredom
• Health symptoms and illnesses, healthy behaviors, COVID-19, medical treatments

Please see the study documentation available on the MTF Panel series page for question-specific details, including content areas included in all survey forms.

HIGHLIGHTS of this update:

• Missing data coding has been changed/simplified in this release. Please see the User Guide for details.
• Panel analysis weights are now included in the data file instead of a stand-alone file. Please see the updated documentation for information.

Please be alert for variable coding differences between paper and web survey versions, especially for questions skipped based on answers to other questions. Note the following:

• The web-based version of the survey was introduced in 2020.
• Paper vs. Web coding differences will be most noticeable for the questions related to substance use, relationship/marital status, employment, and family composition.
• Users will need to explore their data using V60035 (89940:FZ PAPER OR WEB - RESPONSE) to look for and understand any coding differences.

Extensive work has been done to document the history and use of the MTF substance use disorder questions and criteria. Please see Substance use disorder criteria sums in the Monitoring the Future Panel Study (Occasional Paper No. 101).

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.

The longitudinal MTF Panel study extends the work of the cross-sectional MTF Main study by following a subsample of graduating seniors through the entire adult life course. The selected respondents are surveyed every two years from ages 19-30. Starting at age 35, respondents are surveyed every five years, at ages 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 (FZ surveys). The FZ surveys cover many of the same topics as the 12th grade and follow-up surveys and include additional questions on life events and health.

This study contains only the survey data for ages 50 and 55 for the MTF longitudinal panel study participants that have reached age 50 (FZ4) and/or age 55 (FZ5) through the 2021 data collection.

NOTE: Users must also request the core panel data file: MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Core Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39223) because demographic information (e.g. sex, race/ethnicity) for the participants of the age 50 and 55 surveys is included in the core panel data file.

Researchers can merge the Age 50-55 study data file with other MTF follow-up data in this series. This includes:

• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Core Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39223)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 1 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39282)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 2 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39325)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 3 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39389)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 4 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39326)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 5 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1976-2021 (ICPSR 39283)
• MTF: Base Year and Follow-Up Form 6 Panel Data, Ages 18-30, 1989-2021 (ICPSR 39388)
• MTF: Age 35 Panel Data, 1993-2021 [Restricted-Use] (ICPSR 39749)
• MTF: Ages 40 and 45 Panel Data, 1998-2021 [Restricted-Use] (ICPSR 39767)
• MTF: Age 60 Panel Data, 2018-2021 [Restricted-Use] (ICPSR 39779)

In addition to questions about lifetime, annual, and 30-day substance use, the Age 50 (FZ4) and Age 55 (FZ5) surveys also includes questions covering:

• Substance use and its consequences (alcohol, marijuana/cannabis, other illicit drugs, substance use disorder symptoms)
• Methods of marijuana/cannabis use
• Own attitudes and perceptions about substance use
• Living arrangements and household characteristics
• Dating, marriage, and significant relationships
• Family roles, obligations, burdens, emotional support
• Employment: income, financial security, satisfaction
• Community involvement, social issues
• Local and global concerns
• Political interest and preferences
• Happiness; satisfaction with life domains and self
• Psychosocial constructs: self-esteem, locus of control, loneliness, risk-taking, boredom
• Health symptoms and illnesses, healthy behaviors, COVID-19, medical treatments

Please see the study documentation available on the MTF Panel series page for question-specific details, including content areas included in all survey forms.

HIGHLIGHTS of this update:

• Missing data coding has been changed/simplified in this release. Please see the User Guide for details.
• Panel analysis weights are now included in the data file instead of a stand-alone file. Please see the updated documentation for information.

Please be alert for variable coding differences between paper and web survey versions, especially for questions skipped based on answers to other questions. Note the following:

• The web-based version of the survey was introduced in 2020.
• Paper vs. Web coding differences will be most noticeable for the questions related to substance use, relationship/marital status, employment, and family composition.
• Users will need to explore their data using V50035/V55035 (89940:FZ PAPER OR WEB - RESPONSE) to look for and understand any coding differences

Extensive work has been done to document the history and use of the MTF substance use disorder questions and criteria. Please see Substance use disorder criteria sums in the Monitoring the Future Panel Study (Occasional Paper No. 101).

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.

The Monitoring the Future (MTF) project is a long-term epidemiologic and etiologic study of substance use among youth and adults in the United States. It is conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and is funded by a series of investigator-initiated research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The MTF panel study consists of six different survey forms (five forms from 1976-1988), and each survey contains a "core" set of questions about demographics and substance use. This study contains the "core" data for these questions compiled across all survey forms and years in which they are included for the longitudinal panel participants. Each record in the core panel dataset includes the respondent's data for their base year (BY) 12th grade survey (modal age 18) and their young adult follow-up FU surveys (modal ages 19-30).

The core panel dataset should be selected by all researchers. Use the linking variable available on all datasets, MTFID, to link the core dataset with all other MTF panel datasets.

Here is a list of subjects included in the core dataset:

Administrative variables

• Year of administration
• Survey form
• Survey date
• BY survey weight, sampling stratum and cluster
• FU panel analysis weights

Demographics

BY only

• #Parents in household
• Parent education levels
• Respondent's age in months
• Sex
• Race/Ethnicity
• Region of the country (school location)
• Population density/Urbanicity (school location)
• High school Zip Code, State and County FIPS codes (can be linked to user-provided data; results can be reported at no unit smaller than US geographical region)
• Absenteeism (illness, cutting, skipping class)
• High school program, Grades, post-high school plans

FU only

• Pregnancy status
• Household type
• Urbanicity
• Absenteeism (missing work due to illness, other)
• Vocational/Technical education, Armed forces, College attendance
• College grades, attendance, Greek life

BY and FU

• Marital status
• Household composition
• Political preference
• Religious attendance, importance, preference
• Evenings out, Dating
• Employment
• Salary/earned Income and Other Income
• Driving, tickets, and accidents related to alcohol and other substance use

Substance use

• Cigarette use
• Alcohol use (including binge drinking (e.g. 5+ drinks in a row/2 weeks), drunkenness)
• Marijuana/cannabis, hashish use
• LSD use
• Hallucinogen use, other than LSD
• Cocaine use (including cocaine, crack, other forms)
• Amphetamine use
• Sedatives/Barbiturate use
• Tranquilizer use
• Heroin use (with and without needles)
• Narcotics use (other than Heroin)
• Inhalant use
• Steroid use
• Ice use
• Methamphetamine use
• MDMA use
• Vaping: nicotine, marijuana, flavoring

Please see the study documentation available on the MTF Panel series page for question-specific details.

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.

The MTF study consists of six different survey forms (five forms from 1976-1988). This study contains the data for Form 1 longitudinal panel participants. The MTF Form 1 Panel dataset includes data for the base year (BY) 12th grade surveys (modal age 18) and their young adult follow-up FU surveys (modal ages 19-30).

In addition to demographic-related questions and questions about lifetime, annual, and 30-day substance use that are included on all survey forms, Form 1 also includes questions covering:

• incidence of first use
• co-use of substances
• sources of obtaining substances
• perceived friends' use
• perceived availability of substances
• when, where, and with who substance use is occurring
• modes of substance use administration
• reasons for use or non-use
• own attitudes about substance use
• perceived risk of use
• substance use advertising
• sources of help and treatment
• free time and activities
• role of citizens in government, confidence in government
• voting and political activism
• attitudes towards discrimination
• satisfaction with life domains
• healthy behaviors
• physical health symptoms

Please see the study documentation available on the MTF Panel series page for question-specific details.

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.

The MTF study consists of six different survey forms (five forms from 1976-1988). This study contains the data for Form 2 longitudinal panel participants. The MTF Form 2 restricted panel dataset includes data for the base year (BY) 12th grade surveys (modal age 18) and their young adult follow-up FU surveys (modal ages 19-30).

In addition to demographic-related questions and questions about lifetime, annual, and 30-day substance use that are included on all survey forms, Form 2 also includes questions covering:

• Availability of drugs
• Confidence/trust in government
• Dating, marriage, and family
• Delinquency and victimization
• Expected future substance use
• Exposure to substance use
• Healthy behaviors, illness, COVID-19
• Leisure time activities, high school and post-high school
• Methods of marijuana use
• Military: plans for service, draft opinion
• Own attitudes and perceptions about substance use
• Perceived friends' substance use
• Perceived risk of substance use
• Psychosocial domains: boredom, loneliness, self-esteem, depressive affect, social support, self-efficacy, risk taking
• Satisfaction with life domains
• Sources of help and treatment for substance use
• Sources of marijuana
• Substance use initiation
• Vaping, including nicotine, marijuana, flavoring, sources
• Voting, political activism

NOTE: In 2020, school-based data collection was halted due to COVID-19. BY sample sizes were affected, and data for some questions on forms 2 and 3 were suppressed. The list of variables affected is found in the 2020 12th grade Codebook available through NAHDAP.

Please see the study documentation available on the MTF Panel series page for question-specific details , including content areas included in all survey forms.

NOTE: Researchers are encouraged to begin their work with the "core" data file, NAHDAP study 39223. Please see the User's Guide, IV. Working with the MTF Restricted Panel Data, for details.

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the MTF research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.

The MTF study consists of six different survey forms (five forms from 1976-1988). This study contains the data for Form 4 longitudinal panel participants. The MTF Form 4 restricted panel dataset includes data for the base year (BY) 12th grade surveys (modal age 18) and their young adult follow-up FU surveys (modal ages 19-30).

In addition to demographic-related questions and questions about lifetime, annual, and 30-day substance use that are included on all survey forms, Form 4 also includes questions covering:

• Beer, Wine, hard liquor, wine coolers use
• Vaping sources
• Flavored, small, and large cigars
• Hookah, dissolvable tobacco, snus, and smokeless tobacco use
• Own attitudes and perceptions about substance use
• Perceived risk of substance use
• Perceived friends' substance use
• Perceived addictiveness of substances
• Legal Issues Regarding Drugs
• Delinquency, victimization, and feeling safe at school
• Vocational plans, aspirations, expectations
• Preferences regarding job characteristics
• Desirability of different working arrangements and settings
• Work ethic/success orientation
• Dating and marriage: status, attitudes, expectations
• Parenthood: attitudes, expectations
• Values surrounding marriage and family
• Personal materialism
• Ecological concerns, conservation of resources
• Attitudes toward governmental policies and practices
• Local and global concerns
• Voting behavior
• Attitudes toward the military as an institution and occupation
• Happiness; satisfaction with life domains and self

Please see the study documentation available on the MTF Panel series page for question-specific details.

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.

The MTF study consists of six different survey forms (five forms from 1976-1988). This study contains the data for Form 5 longitudinal panel participants. The MTF Form 5 restricted panel dataset includes data for the base year (BY) 12th grade surveys (modal age 18) and their young adult follow-up FU surveys (modal ages 19-30).

In addition to demographic-related questions and questions about lifetime, annual, and 30-day substance use that are included on all survey forms, Form 5 also includes questions covering:

• Non-prescription substance use, including Ritalin, Adderall, Oxycontin, Vicodin, fentanyl
• Energy drinks/shots
• Flavored alcohol, alcohol+caffeine
• Flavored small and large cigars
• Hookah
• dissolvable tobacco, snus, smokeless tobacco
• Synthetic marijuana use
• Incidence of first use
• Perceived risk of substance use
• Own and others' attitudes and perceptions about substance use
• Exposure to substance use
• Substance use problems
• Reasons for substance use, abstention or stopping use
• Perceived availability of substances
• Expected future substance use
• Sources of help and treatment for substance use
• Job-related substance use testing
• Methods of substance use
• Satisfaction with life domains
• Interpersonal relationships
• Parenthood: status, attitudes, expectations
• Dating, marriage, and family: status, values, attitudes, expectations, sex roles
• Military: plans for service, attitudes toward the military as an institution and occupation
• Working arrangements and settings
• Work ethic/success orientation
• Leisure time: extent, activities, and attitudes
• Community involvement
• Voting and political activism
• Political interest and preference
• Concern for others, locally and globally
• Conservation of resources, ecological concerns, mass transit
• Attitudes towards discrimination
• Expectations concerning societal change
• Reactions to personal and social change
• Personal materialism
• Delinquency and victimization
• Psychosocial domains: boredom, loneliness, self-esteem, depressive affect,social support, self-efficacy, risk taking
• Healthy behaviors, illness, COVID-19
• Post high school: status, plans, characteristics
• High school sport involvement, concussion
• Substance use education in high school

Please see the study documentation available on the MTF Panel series page for question-specific details, including content areas included in all survey forms.

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.

The MTF study consists of six different survey forms (forms 1-5 began in 1976; form 6 was added in 1989). This study contains the data for Form 6 longitudinal panel participants. The MTF Form 6 Panel dataset includes data for the base year (BY) 12th grade surveys (modal age 18) and their young adult follow-up FU surveys (modal ages 19-30).

In addition to demographic-related questions and questions about lifetime, annual, and 30-day substance use that are included on all survey forms (see the core panel listing), Form 6 also includes questions covering:

• Attitudes toward governmental policies and practices
• Attitudes towards discrimination
• Dating, marriage, and family
• Delinquency and victimization
• Expected future substance use
• Flavored alcohol, alcohol+caffeine
• Health behaviors, COVID-19
• High school: Delinquency, victimization, and feeling safe at school
• High school: scholastic status, objectives, experiences, activities
• Leisure time activities, high school and post-high school
• Methods of marijuana use
• Non-prescription substance use including Ritalin, Adderall, Oxycontin, Vicodin, Fentanyl
• Others' attitudes regarding drugs and drug users
• Own attitudes about substance use
• Perceived availability of substances
• Perceived risk of substance use
• Perception of others' substance use behaviors
• Psychosocial domains: boredom, loneliness, self-esteem, depressive affect, social support, self-efficacy, risk taking
• Reasons for non-use: crack, other cocaine
• Satisfaction with life
• Smokeless tobacco
• Substance use initiation
• Tobacco Promotional Activities

Please see the study documentation available on the MTF Panel series page for question-specific details, including content areas included in all survey forms.

NOTE: Researchers are encouraged to begin their work with the "core" data file, NAHDAP study 39223. Please see the User's Guide, section IV. Working with the MTF Restricted Panel Data, for details.

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.

The Monitoring the Future (MTF) project is a long-term epidemiologic and etiologic study of substance use among youth and adults in the United States. It is conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, and funded by a series of investigator-initiated research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. MTF has two components: MTF Main and MTF Panel.

From its inception in 1975, the cross-sectional MTF Main study has collected data annually from nationally representative samples of 12,000-19,000 high school seniors in 12th grade located in approximately 135 schools nationwide. Beginning in 1991, similar annual cross-sectional surveys of nationally representative samples of 8th and 10th graders have been conducted. In all, approximately 45,000 students annually respond to about 100 drug use and demographic questions, as well as to about 200 additional questions divided among multiple survey forms on other topics such as attitudes toward government, social institutions, race relations, changing gender roles, educational aspirations, occupational aims, and marital plans.

The longitudinal MTF Panel study conducts follow-up surveys with representative subsamples of respondents from each 12th grade cohort participating in MTF Main. From each cohort, a sample of about 2,450 students are selected for longitudinal follow-up, with an oversampling of students who reported prior drug use during their 12th grade survey. Longitudinal follow-up currently spans modal ages 19-30 and 35-60. For surveys at modal ages 19-30, the sample is randomly split into two halves (approx. 1,225 each) to be followed every other year. One half-sample begins its first follow-up the year after high school (at modal age 19), and the other half-sample begins its first follow-up in the second year after high school (at modal age 20). Thus, six young adult follow-up (FU) surveys occur between modal ages 19-30, at modal ages 19/20 (FU1), 21/22 (FU2), 23/24 (FU3), 25/26 (FU4), 27/28 (FU5), and 29/30 (FU6). After age 30, respondents are surveyed every five years: 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 (these are referred to as FZ surveys). The FZ surveys cover many of the same topics as the 12th grade and FU surveys and include additional questions on life events and health.

MTF Panel surveys for the young adults (ages 19-30) were conducted using mailed paper surveys from 1977-2017. In 2018 and 2019, a random half of all those aged 19-30 received a mailed paper survey, while the other half were surveyed using a new procedure that encouraged participation using web surveys (web-push). The FZ surveys (ages 35-60) were conducted using mailed paper surveys through the 2019 data collection.

More information about the MTF project can be accessed through the Monitoring the Future website. Annual reports are published by the research team, describing the data collection and trends over time.