Pandika D, Bailey JA, Oesterle S, Kuklinski MR. Young adult opioid misuse indicates a general tendency toward substance use and is strongly predicted by general substance use risk.
Drug Alcohol Depend 2022;
235:109442. [PMID:
35461085 DOI:
10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109442]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether young adult opioid misuse reflects a general tendency toward substance use and is influenced by general substance use risk or whether it is a different phenomenon from other drug use.
METHODS
At ages 23 (2016) and 26 (2019), a panel of young adults (n = 3794 to 3833) in the United States self-reported their past-month substance use (opioid misuse, heavy drinking, cigarettes, cannabis) and substance-specific risk factors (perceptions of harm; approval of use; and use of each substance by friends and romantic partners). Structural equation models examined non-opioid and opioid-specific associations between latent risk and substance use factors.
RESULTS
Opioid misuse and opioid-specific risk factors shared significant variance with latent substance use and latent substance use risk, respectively, which were strongly associated. A statistically significant residual correlation between opioid-specific risk and opioid misuse remained.
CONCLUSION
Young adult opioid misuse reflects a general tendency toward substance use and is strongly predicted by risk for substance use. Opioid-specific risk factors play only a small independent role. Existing evidence-based substance use interventions may be effective in preventing opioid misuse among young adults.
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