Purpose
The current study examines the prevalence and demographic correlates of self-reported substance use and identifies subgroups of polysubstance users among a cohort of US 10th grade students.
Methods
A nationally representative school-based cohort of US 10th grade students completed the NEXT Generation Health Study baseline survey in the spring of 2010 (N = 2,524).
Results
Past-year use of marijuana was most common among illicit drugs (26%), followed by misuse of medication (9%) and use of other illicit drugs (8%). During the past month, alcohol use was reported by more than one-third (35%), binge drinking by 27%, and cigarette smoking by 19%. Results further show that substance use varied somewhat by demographic characteristics. Results from the latent class analysis of polysubstance use indicated a 4-class solution as the best-fitting model; Class 1 (59%) included the ‘non-user’ group; Class 2 (23%) comprised the ‘predominant alcohol user’ group; Class 3 (11%) formed the ‘predominant marijuana user’ group; Class 4 (8%) was characterized as the ‘predominant polysubstance user’ group. Somatic and depressive symptoms varied significantly by class membership, with predominant polysubstance users reporting elevated levels of somatic and depressive symptoms.
Conclusions
The findings from this national study of 10th-grade students indicate high rates of substance and polysubstance use. The high level of depressive and somatic symptoms among polysubstance users indicates the need for mental health screening and referral.
Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused myriad health, social, and economic stressors. To date, however, no known study has examined changes in mental health during the pandemic in the U.S. military veteran population. Methods: Data were analyzed from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, a nationally representative, prospective cohort survey of 3,078 veterans. Pre-to-peri-pandemic changes in psychiatric symptoms were evaluated, as well as pre-pandemic risk and protective factors and pandemic-related correlates of increased psychiatric distress. Results: The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) positive screens increased from pre-to peri-pandemic (7.1% to 9.4%; p<0.001) and was driven by an increase among veterans aged 45-64 years (8.2% to 13.5%; p<0.001), but the prevalence of major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder positive screens remained stable. Using a continuous measure of psychiatric distress, an estimated 13.2% of veterans reported a clinically meaningful pre-to-peri-pandemic increase in distress (mean=1.1 standard deviation). Veterans with a larger pre-pandemic social network size and secure attachment style were less likely to experience increased distress, whereas veterans reporting more pre-pandemic loneliness were more likely to experience increased distress.Concerns about pandemic-related social losses, mental health COVID-19 effects, and housing stability during the pandemic were associated with increased distress, over-and-above prepandemic factors. Conclusions: Although most U.S. veterans showed resilience to mental health problems nearly one year into the pandemic, the prevalence of GAD positive screens increased, particularly among middle-aged veterans, and 1-of-7 veterans experienced increased distress.Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
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