TY - JOUR PY - 2022// TI - Within-person predictors of same-day alcohol and nonmedical prescription drug use among youth presenting to an urban emergency department JO - Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs A1 - Goldstick, Jason E. A1 - Bonar, Erin E. A1 - Myers, Matthew A1 - Bohnert, Amy S. B. A1 - Walton, Maureen A. L. A1 - Cunningham, Rebecca M. SP - 85 EP - 90 VL - 83 IS - 1 N2 - OBJECTIVE: Simultaneous alcohol and nonmedical prescription drug use (NMPDU) increases acute risks (e.g., overdose) associated with each; understanding social, substance use, and mental health predictors of same-day use may suggest intervention targets.

METHOD: At an urban emergency department, research assistants recruited youth ages 14-24 reporting past-6-month substance use (n = 599; 58.8% male). Participants self-administered validated measures of alcohol consumption, cannabis use severity (quantity and consequences), mental health symptoms, and social influences at baseline and at four biannual follow-ups. In addition, participants completed Timeline Followback calendars that assessed same-day use of alcohol and prescription drugs. We used negative binomial regression with person-level fixed effects to isolate within-person predictor effects on same-day use frequency.

RESULTS: Between 6.0% (baseline) and 8.6% (6-month follow-up) of youth reported same-day alcohol use and NMPDU across follow-ups. Within-person increases in alcohol consumption, cannabis use severity, and depression and anxiety symptoms all corresponded to greater same-day alcohol and NMPDU frequency, with consistent findings across genders. Increased positive peer behaviors corresponded to decreased same-day use frequency among males but not females. Decreased parental support and increased delinquent peer exposures corresponded to greater same-day use frequency among females but not males.

CONCLUSIONS: Substance use and mental health symptom escalation are robust predictors of greater same-day use frequency, whereas the roles of social factors appear gender-specific. Interrupting worsening trajectories of substance use and mental health symptoms, and enhancing social support and reducing delinquent peer exposures, may reduce same-day use frequency.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1937-1888 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -