Polysubstance Use Profiles Among the General Adult Population, United States, 2022.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Substance Use Research
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Polysubstance use, defined as the use of two or more drugs, is a complex public health issue.
• Understanding current patterns of polysubstance use is essential for developing effective interventions.
• Previous research has not fully characterized the diverse profiles of polysubstance consumption in the general adult population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize contemporary polysubstance use patterns among adults in the United States.
• To identify distinct latent classes of polysubstance use based on drug types and combinations.
• To examine the prevalence and substance use disorder (SUD) rates associated with each identified pattern.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from a 2022 nationally representative survey of 15,800 US adults.
• Latent class analysis was employed to identify distinct polysubstance use profiles.
• Included medical/nonmedical prescription drug use, recreational drug use, and concomitant use with alcohol and other drugs.

Main Results:

• The national prevalence of polysubstance use was 20.9%.
• Four distinct latent classes were identified: medically guided (11.5%), principal cannabis (4.0%), self-guided (3.4%), and indiscriminate coexposures (2.1%).
• Substance use disorder (SUD) rates varied significantly across classes, from 6.1% to 58.9%.

Conclusions:

• Distinct polysubstance use profiles exist within the adult population, with some linked to untreated SUDs.
• Two previously unrecognized classes of polysubstance use were identified.
• Personalized prevention and treatment strategies tailored to individual polysubstance use profiles are recommended.