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Perceived functions predict intensity of use and problems in young polysubstance users.
1National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK. a.boys@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|June 20, 2003
Summary
Understanding why young people use alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, amphetamine, and cocaine is key to addressing substance use problems. The reasons for use, especially mood relief, strongly predict usage intensity and problems in young polysubstance users.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Addiction Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Polysubstance use is prevalent among young individuals.
- Understanding the motivations behind substance use is crucial for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model consumption patterns and associated problems of alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, amphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride.
- To investigate the predictive power of substance use functions on usage intensity and problems in young polysubstance users.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey of 364 young polysubstance users (aged 16-22).
- Peer interviewers administered structured questionnaires on substance use patterns, consequences, and functions.
- Data collected on five psychoactive substances: alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, amphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride.
Main Results:
- Functions for substance use strongly predicted usage intensity across all five substances, even after controlling for peer use and demographics.
- Functions explained an additional 11-19% of the variance in usage intensity scores.
- Functions, particularly those related to mood relief, were significant predictors of problem scores for alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine.
Conclusions:
- A functional approach to understanding substance use is valuable for explaining its escalation from experimental to problematic use.
- These findings can inform the development of targeted prevention, education, and intervention strategies for young polysubstance users.