Risk and protective factors for methamphetamine use and nonmedical use of prescription stimulants among young adults aged 18 to 25.

This article reports on correlates of past-year nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and methamphetamine among young adults aged 18 to 25. Data from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were used to conduct logistic regression analyses of the demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral correlates of nonmedical stimulant use. The sample size was 23,645. Multivariate analyses revealed that selling drugs and using marijuana and other illegal drugs were associated with increased odds of both methamphetamine and nonmedical prescription stimulant use. Females, individuals not enrolled in college, and those who had been arrested were more likely than their counterparts to have used methamphetamine, whereas black individuals and less religious individuals were less likely than their counterparts to have used methamphetamine. Psychological distress, sensation seeking, binge drinking, and college enrollment were associated with increased risks of nonmedical prescription stimulant use, whereas Hispanic and other ethnic identification were associated with decreased risks of nonmedical prescription stimulant use. Different intervention strategies are needed to prevent methamphetamine use versus nonmedical prescription stimulant use.

Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: This study estimated prevalences and correlates of stimulant diversion in the United States and examined relationships between diversion and measures of abuse or dependence. METHODS: We conducted descriptive and multivariate analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Key measures were nonmedical use (misuse) of any prescription stimulant, any stimulant other than methamphetamine, and stimulants indicated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). RESULTS: Lifetime stimulant misuse included some misuse of longer-acting ADHD drugs. The majority of past-year misuse involved drugs other than methamphetamine, particularly for youth aged 12-17. Past year misuse was more prevalent among persons aged 12-25, compared with older adults, and among Whites, compared with other groups. Prevalences in large metropolitan areas were lower than or similar to those in less populated areas. About 13% of past-year stimulant misusers met the survey criteria for dependence or abuse, as did about 10% of persons aged 12-25 who misused only nonmethamphetamine stimulants. CONCLUSIONS: Most stimulant misuse in the United States (particularly among youth) involved prescription drugs other than methamphetamine. The problem is not limited to metropolitan areas.

Neighborhood safety and social involvement: associations with parenting behaviors and depressive symptoms among African American and Euro-American mothers.

The relation between neighborhood characteristics and parenting and the mediating role of maternal depressive symptoms was examined among African American and Euro-American mothers of kindergarten children. Mothers' ratings of neighborhood safety were related to disciplinary strategies for both African American and Euro-American mothers but not to expressions of affection. Interviewers' ratings of safety were related to mothers' use of hostile socialization strategies. Both mothers' and interviewers' reports of safety were linked with maternal depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms mediated the relation between neighborhood safety and inconsistent discipline, suggesting that the influence of safety on inconsistent discipline was due to its impact on maternal depression. Although there were similarities across ethnic groups, the relation between social involvement and mothers' withdrawal of interactions with their children differed across groups.

Moderation and mediation in the relationship between mothers' or fathers' serious psychological distress and adolescent substance use: findings from a national sample.

PURPOSE: This study estimated percentages of adolescents living with a mother or father with serious psychological distress (SPD), and examined moderation and mediation of the relationships between mother or father SPD and adolescent substance use. METHODS: We analyzed data from nationally representative samples of adolescents interviewed with their mothers (n = 4734) and fathers (n = 3176) in the combined 2002 and 2003 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). RESULTS: An estimated 4.1% of adolescents living with their father had a father with SPD during the past year, and 11.5% of adolescents living with their mother had a mother with SPD during this time period. A positive association was found between mothers' SPD and adolescent binge drinking (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.01-2.21), but no association was found between fathers' SPD and adolescent binge drinking. Mothers' SPD was associated with increased risk of binge drinking among adolescents aged 14-15 years (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.38-4.60), and fathers' SPD was associated with lowered risk of binge drinking among black adolescents (OR = .08, 95% CI = .01-.79). A positive association was found between mothers' SPD and adolescent illicit drug use (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.08-2.23), but no association was found between fathers' SPD and adolescent illicit drug use. Mothers' SPD was associated with increased risk of illicit drug use among female adolescents (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.24-3.70) and among adolescents of white ethnicity (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.19, 2.68). Parental involvement partially mediated the relationship between mothers' SPD and daughters' illicit drug use; mothers' SPD was associated with lower levels of parental involvement, which in turn were associated with an increased probability of daughters' illicit drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, parents' SPD is associated differentially with adolescent substance use depending on the gender of parent and adolescent, adolescent age, race/ethnicity, and substance used. Parental involvement appears to be one mechanism through which mothers' SPD influences daughters' illicit drug use. Future research should further consider the interindividual effects of parents' SPD and associated parenting behaviors on adolescent risk behaviors.

Risk and protective factors for nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and methamphetamine among adolescents.

PURPOSE: This article reports on correlates of past-year nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and methamphetamine among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. METHODS: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were used to conduct logistic regression analyses of the demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral correlates of illicit stimulant use. The sample size was 17,709. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that mental health treatment utilization and use of marijuana and other illegal drugs were correlated with nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and methamphetamine among adolescents. Females and adolescents who reported low religiosity, binge drinking, and selling drugs were more likely to use methamphetamine than were males or individuals who did not report these attitudes or behaviors. Additionally, black adolescents were less likely than white adolescents to use methamphetamine. Alternatively, adolescents who reported high family conflict and sensation-seeking were more likely than their counterparts to use prescription stimulants nonmedically, and Hispanic adolescents were less likely to use prescription stimulants nonmedically than white adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Risk for illicit use of stimulants varies by demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors. Different intervention mechanisms, populations, and settings should be targeted to prevent nonmedical use of prescription stimulants versus methamphetamine among adolescents.