Longitudinal Associations Between Sexual Victimization and Substance Misuse Among High School Youth in Colorado

There are consistently high rates of sexual victimization and substance misuse among youth in the United States. Although there is a known relation between sexual victimization and substance use, there is a gap in the research regarding the magnitude and temporality of these associations. This study examined whether latent classes of sexual victimization and help-seeking attitudes longitudinally predict intentions of future substance misuse 7–10 months later. Students from nine Colorado high schools ( N = 533; M = age 16 years) completed surveys across two consecutive school semesters. Latent class analysis was used to identify classes of students who experienced at least one form of sexual victimization (e.g., sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact) according to 13 sexual victimization items, and level of positive attitudes regarding help-seeking for sexual victimization. Classes were compared on demographic characteristics and for distal outcomes of likelihood of future substance misuse (cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs, and electronic vaping products) using latent class regression, controlling for previous intentions to use. At Time 1, four classes of sexual victimization were identified with two main classes for comparison: low odds of experiencing sexual victimization (60.1% of sample) and high odds of endorsing all forms of sexual victimization (7.7% of sample). The high sexual victimization class had higher proportions of male and transgender students, compared to other classes. At Time 2 (7–10 months later), students in the high sexual victimization class reported a significantly greater likelihood of future cigarette ( p = .017) and prescription drug misuse ( p = .007) when compared to the low sexual victimization class. There was no evidence that having higher positive attitudes towards help-seeking resulted in lower intentions to use substances in the future. These findings highlight that addressing sexual violence in prevention programming may have crossover effects of reducing substance misuse and other forms of violence among youth.

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An Overview of Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse: Defining the Problem and Seeking Solutions

The Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics ◽

10.1111/j.1748-720x.1994.tb01295.x ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 197-203 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Bonnie B. Wilford ◽

James Finch ◽

Dorynne J. Czechowicz ◽

David Warren

Keyword(s):

Prescription Drugs ◽

Illicit Drugs ◽

Policy Issue ◽

The United States ◽

Drug Misuse ◽

Prescription Drug Misuse ◽

Therapeutic Benefits ◽

Psychoactive Effects ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Access To Medical Care

Each year, millions of individuals in the United States are treated for a variety of serious medical conditions with prescription drugs whose therapeutic benefits are well known. The vast majority of these medications are used to treat medical and psychiatric illnesses. Generally, they are used as prescribed, and contribute to a better quality of life for persons suffering from debilitating or life-threatening disorders.The fact that a small portion of these medications is diverted by those who seek their psychoactive effects raises the important policy issue: how to make drugs easily available for medical use while limiting access for purposes of abuse.Such a responsibility poses challenges very different from those of the so-called “war” on illicit drugs, because this control must be achieved without impeding patients’ access to medical care. A rational public policy would attempt to achieve a balance between the need to minimize abuse and the need to provide relief.

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Alcohol and substance misuse

Oxford Textbook of Old Age Psychiatry ◽

10.1093/med/9780198807292.003.0046 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 713-734

Author(s):

Tony Rao ◽

Katy A. Jones

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Workforce Development ◽

Prescription Drugs ◽

Substance Misuse ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Drug Misuse ◽

Prescription Drug Misuse ◽

Physical Disorders ◽

To Come

Older people now represent a group at highest risk of rising substance misuse. This applies to alcohol as well as both illicit and prescription drugs. It is a trend that is likely to continue for decades to come, during which time we expect to see further increases in rates of illicit and prescription drug misuse. These problems are likely to pose a considerable burden on public health and clinical services, the problems being compounded by comorbid mental and physical disorders, polypharmacy and psychosocial problems such as retirement, loneliness, and bereavement. There is considerable scope for education and workforce development to improve screening and assessment, as well as exploring barriers to entering treatment, treatment options, and factors to promote recovery. Given the limited evidence base for treatment of substance misuse in older people, there is a pressing need for further research through both observational and analytical studies.

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Prescription Drugs and the US Workforce: Results from a National Safety Council Survey

January 2018 - Pain Physician ◽

10.36076/ppj.2020/23/1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1;23 (1;1) ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alaa Abd-Elsayed

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Drug Abuse ◽

Prescription Drug ◽

Prescription Drugs ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

The United States ◽

Drug Misuse ◽

Prescription Drug Abuse ◽

Prescription Drug Misuse ◽

National Safety Council

Background: The cost of chronic pain in the United States is extremely high. Opioids are one of the most common medications prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain, and their misuse and addiction have been of concern. It has been found that opioids are frequently abused and negatively impact the American workforce. Objectives: The objective of this study was to obtain data on US employers’ concerns and priorities, perceptions of prescription drug abuse, perceived impact of prescription drug use on the workplace, identification of and response to drug abuse, perceived ability to handle prescription drug abuse in the workplace, and workplace initiatives, employee assistance programs, employee drug testing, workplace prescription drug training, insurance coverage of alternative treatment, and overall preparedness to deal with the issue. Study Design: This research used an employer proprietary questionnaire created by members of the National Safety Council in cooperation with market research experts at B2B International. Setting: Employers surveyed via an online survey represent diverse industries and geographical areas. Methods: The research was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire. Participants were recruited from a sample of verified panelists through Research Now, and fieldwork was conducted online by B2B International. This report is on 501 interviews that each represent a US employer with 50 or more employees. The employers sampled are extremely diverse in not only size and industry, but also geography and centralization. Results: Our results showed that 67% of employers reported concerns related to prescription drug misuse, which was comparable to workplace violence and more concerning than the use of illegal drugs. Sixty-one percent reported concerns related to prescription opioids, which was a higher concern than using anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, and even heroin. Limitations: Survey study with descriptive analysis with limited sample. Conclusions: Prescription drug misuse and abuse concern American employers. Their side effects are clear, but employers are less likely to acknowledge their detrimental business effect. Employers report being unprepared for dealing with issues related to this; however, the firms with programs in place feel more prepared to deal with misuse and abuse. Key words: Prescription drugs, US workforce, chronic pain

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Integrating Theories of Gender and Sexuality With Deviance: The Case of Prescription Drug Misuse during Sex

Gender & Society ◽

10.1177/08912432211009859 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 089124322110098

Author(s):

Laura C. Frizzell ◽

Mike Vuolo ◽

Brian C. Kelly

Keyword(s):

Prescription Drug ◽

Prescription Drugs ◽

Minority Stress ◽

Sexual Minorities ◽

Deviant Behavior ◽

Gender And Sexuality ◽

Drug Misuse ◽

Identity Conflict ◽

Prescription Drug Misuse ◽

Sexual Identities

Social scientists have expended substantial effort to identify group patterns of deviant behavior. Yet beyond the ill-conceived treatment of sexual minorities as inherently deviant, they have rarely considered how gendered sexual identities (GSIs) shape participation in deviance. We argue for the utility of centering theories of gender and sexuality in intersectional deviance research. We demonstrate how this intentional focus on gender and sexuality provides important empirical insights while avoiding past pitfalls of stigmatizing sexual minorities. Drawing on theories of hegemonic masculinity, emphasized femininity, and minority stress together with criminological general strain theory, we demonstrate how societal expectations and constraints generate strains among GSI groups that may lead to distinctly patterned deviance, using the case of prescription drug misuse during sex. We employ thematic analysis of 120 in-depth interviews with people who misuse prescription drugs, stratified by GSI. We identify six themes highlighting distinct pathways from strain to misuse during sex for different GSI groups: intimacy management, achieving sexual freedom, regulating sexual mood, performance confidence, increased sense of control, and managing sexual identity conflict. In this article, we demonstrate the empirical and theoretical importance of centering gender and sexuality in deviance research and provide a roadmap for theoretical integration.

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A Latent Class Analysis of Prevention Approaches Used to Reduce Community-Level Prescription Drug Misuse in Adolescents and Young Adults

The Journal of Primary Prevention ◽

10.1007/s10935-021-00631-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nichole M. Scaglione ◽

Alex Buben ◽

Jason Williams ◽

Jessica Duncan Cance ◽

Elvira Elek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Latent Class Analysis ◽

Prescription Drug ◽

Latent Class ◽

Community Level ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Drug Misuse ◽

Class Analysis ◽

Prescription Drug Misuse

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Perfectionism and Marital Satisfaction among Graduate Students: A Multigroup Invariance Analysis by Counseling Help-seeking Attitudes

Polish Psychological Bulletin ◽

10.1515/ppb-2017-0034 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 301-306

Author(s):

Fatt Mee Foo ◽

Siti Aishah Hassan ◽

Mansor Abu Talib ◽

Noor Syamilah Zakaria

Keyword(s):

Graduate Students ◽

Marital Satisfaction ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Research University ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Satisfaction Scale ◽

Negative Attitudes ◽

Help Seeking Attitudes ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Attitudes Toward Counseling

AbstractThis study aims to measure the latent mean difference in perfectionism and marital satisfaction by counseling help-seeking attitudes. The respondents were 327 married graduate students from a research university in Malaysia. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The respondents completed the Almost Perfect Scale- Revised, Dyadic Almost Perfect Scale, Marital Satisfaction Scale, and Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychology Help Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examined the instruments and the results indicated that construct validity were achieved. The latent mean difference in perfectionism and marital satisfaction by counseling help-seeking attitudes were tested using multigroup invariance analysis. The respondents with negative attitudes toward counseling help-seeking (n = 159) reported a higher latent mean in perfectionism but a lower latent mean in marital satisfaction compared to those with positive attitudes toward counseling help-seeking (n = 168). The implications of these findings for counseling services are discussed.

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