scholarly journals Preferences for Simultaneous Polydrug Use

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-368
Author(s):  
Jeanette Østergaard ◽  
Stine V. Østergaard ◽  
Adam Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Drug Experience ◽  
Polydrug Use ◽  
Alcohol And Drug Use ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
The Difference

Cross-national surveys of young adults’ simultaneous polydrug use (SPU) are rare, as measuring polydrug use requires multiple questions capturing the timing, sequence, and dosage of mixing drugs. This study proposes a new way of measuring SPU by examining how preferences for simultaneous polydrug use (PSPU) vary among club/bar-goers in two European countries, Denmark and England, typically cited as exemplars of the normalization of illegal drug use. The study considers the utility of the normalization thesis for understanding preferences for polydrug use in the European nighttime economy. An in situ survey of 1,298 young adults (18–35 years) conducted in 50 bars, pubs, and nightclubs in England and Denmark assessed sociodemographics, substance use patterns, and personal preference(s) for mixing alcohol and drug use. Multinomial regression analyses examined the relative risk of PSPU categories among those reporting drug use, according to sociodemographics, alcohol intake, frequency of intoxication, and smoking. Illicit drug use was more prevalent among young adults in England than Denmark. The difference was smallest for cannabis use: Lifetime cannabis use is 66% in England and 58% in Denmark. Lifetime cocaine use was 38% in England and 17% in Denmark. In England, young adults with drug experience preferred to mix alcohol with cocaine (65%). In Denmark, young adults with drug experience preferred to mix alcohol with cannabis (78%). In multinominal regression, Danish young adults’ educational level was associated with PSPU, whereas in England legal substance use was associated with PSPU. This study calls for a more differentiated understanding of normalization. Preferences for mixing alcohol and drug use varied significantly cross nationally (alcohol/cocaine, England; alcohol/cannabis, Denmark). Different factors are associated with PSPU in each country. In England, not Denmark, drinking behaviors appear to shape preferences for mixing alcohol with cocaine, suggesting caution should be taken when replicating harm reduction interventions.

scholarly journals Associations between History of Hospitalization for Violence Victimization and Substance-Use Patterns among Adolescents: A 2017 Korean National Representative Survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 1543
Author(s):  
Yeji Lee ◽  
Kang-Sook Lee
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Alcohol And Drug Use ◽  
Violence Victimization ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
History Of ◽  
Victimization Experience

Violence victimization can adversely affect adolescents’ long-term health. Existing research has mainly focused on the link between victimization and substance use; however, the evidence obtained to date has been inconsistent. This study, using a Korean national representative sample, examined the association between violence victimization and substance-use patterns (including tobacco, alcohol, and drug use) in terms of sex and number of violence victimization experiences. We analyzed secondary data from the 2017 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. Chi-squared test analyses and logistic regression analysis were used to examine substance use in terms of violence victimization; additionally, p-values for trends were calculated to reveal the dose-response relationship per number of violence victimization experiences. We consequently found that participants’ rates of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use were higher among those who experienced violence victimization than among those who did not. For each substance-use-related variable, the greater the violence victimization experience, the higher the odds of substance use (p for trend < 0.001). Early intervention may help prevent the development of substance use, especially among adolescents who have experienced violence victimization. Prevention efforts regarding substance abuse and violence prevention should be included in school curricula to effectively prevent adverse health consequences among adolescents.

scholarly journals Examining the Prospective Associations Between Mindfulness Facets and Substance Use in Emerging Adulthood

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-73
Author(s):  
Alanna Single ◽  
Matthew T Keough
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Trait Mindfulness ◽  
Inner Experience ◽  
Alcohol And Drug Use ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Acting With Awareness ◽  
Mindfulness Facets

Abstract Aims Emerging adulthood (i.e. ages 18–25) is a developmental phase associated with frequent alcohol and cannabis use, placing this population at risk for substance use problems. Depression and anxiety (i.e. emotional psychopathology) are also prevalent during this phase, and some emerging adults use substances to cope with these negative emotions. Mindfulness—a multifaceted construct—involves being present in a nonjudgmental and nonreactive way. Certain mindfulness facets are particularly relevant in buffering against substance use. A recent longitudinal study [Single A, Bilevicius E, Johnson EA. et al. (2019) Specific facets of trait mindfulness reduce risk for alcohol and drug use among first-year undergraduate students. Mindfulness  10:1269–1279] showed that specific mindfulness facets (i.e. acting with awareness, nonjudging of inner experience and nonreactivity to inner experience) predicted decreased alcohol and drug use in undergraduates. These pathways were explained by low levels of emotional psychopathology. Methods This study expanded this recent work by using a three time-point longitudinal design and by including measures of both alcohol and cannabis use and related problems. Using MTurk, participants (N = 299) completed online measures of trait mindfulness, depression, anxiety, alcohol and cannabis use and related problems at three time-points, each 2 weeks apart. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Results The acting with awareness and nonjudging of inner experience facets predicted fewer alcohol problems, but not alcohol use, and this effect was mediated by low levels of emotional psychopathology. These results were not supported for cannabis use and problems. Conclusion This study demonstrates that there may be differences in the pathways from trait mindfulness to alcohol and cannabis use during emerging adulthood.

Local variation in cannabis use patterns among young adults in the San Francisco Bay Area

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 100418
Author(s):  
Louisa M. Holmes ◽  
Johannes Thrul ◽  
Natalie K. Warren ◽  
Pamela M. Ling
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
San Francisco Bay ◽  
San Francisco Bay Area ◽  
Local Variation ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Bay Area

Substance use patterns associated with injection drug use initiation in a low-threshold methadone-maintained sample

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 436-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslava Kolajova ◽  
Heather G. Fulton ◽  
Christine Darredeau ◽  
Sean P. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Injection Drug Use ◽  
Injection Drug ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Low Threshold ◽  
Drug Use Initiation

scholarly journals Recent Perceived Stress, Amygdala Reactivity to Acute Psychosocial Stress, and Alcohol and Cannabis Use in Adolescents and Young Adults With Bipolar Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Le ◽  
Dylan E. Kirsch ◽  
Valeria Tretyak ◽  
Wade Weber ◽  
Stephen M. Strakowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Amygdala Activation ◽  
Amygdala Reactivity

Background: Psychosocial stress negatively affects the clinical course of bipolar disorder. Studies primarily focused on adults with bipolar disorder suggest the impact of stress is progressive, i.e., stress response sensitizes with age. Neural mechanisms underlying stress sensitization are unknown. As stress-related mechanisms contribute to alcohol/substance use disorders, variation in stress response in youth with bipolar disorder may contribute to development of co-occurring alcohol/substance use disorders. This study investigated relations between psychosocial stress, amygdala reactivity, and alcohol and cannabis use in youth with bipolar disorder, compared to typically developing youth.Methods: Forty-two adolescents/young adults [19 with bipolar disorder, 23 typically developing, 71% female, agemean ± SD = 21 ± 2 years] completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Daily Drinking Questionnaire modified for heaviest drinking week, and a modified Montreal Imaging Stress functional MRI Task. Amygdala activation was measured for both the control and stress conditions. Main effects of group, condition, total PSS, and their interactions on amygdala activation were modeled. Relationships between amygdala response to acute stress with recent alcohol/cannabis use were investigated.Results: Greater perceived stress related to increased right amygdala activation in response to the stress, compared to control, condition in bipolar disorder, but not in typically developing youth (group × condition × PSS interaction, p = 0.02). Greater amygdala reactivity to acute stress correlated with greater quantity and frequency of alcohol use and frequency of cannabis use in bipolar disorder.Conclusion: Recent perceived stress is associated with changes in amygdala activation during acute stress with amygdala reactivity related to alcohol/cannabis use in youth with bipolar disorder.

Meaning in Life and Substance Use

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-19
Author(s):  
Matthew Csabonyi ◽  
Lisa J. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Search For Meaning ◽  
Lower Alcohol ◽  
Meaning In Life Questionnaire

Viktor Frankl theorized that an absence of meaning in one’s life can result in boredom and apathy—the “existential vacuum”—and attempts to avoid or “escape” the vacuum can include short-acting distracting behaviors. This study investigated whether the presence of meaning (PM) or the search for meaning are associated with alcohol, drug, and cigarette use by young adults, and whether boredom mediates those relationships. Hundred and seventy-six young adults completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and provided information about cigarette and illicit drug use over the preceding year. The results partly support Frankl’s model: higher PM was associated with lower alcohol/other drug use and boredom mediated those relationships, but PM was not related to cigarette smoking. Contrary to Frankl’s model, no relationship was found between search for meaning and alcohol, drug, or cigarette use. This suggests that psychological interventions that assist individuals who use drugs or alcohol to identify meaning or purpose in their lives might reduce levels of drug and alcohol use. The process of searching for meaning may not have substantial direct impact on levels of substance use, but once some meaning was established there may be decreased impetus to continue using drugs and alcohol.

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