Trajectories of adolescent substance use development and the influence of healthy leisure: A growth mixture modeling approach

Abstract

Considerable heterogeneity exists in adolescent substance use development. To most effectively prevent use, distinct trajectories of use must be identified as well as differential associations with predictors of use, such as leisure experience. The current study used a person-centered approach to identify distinct substance use trajectories and how leisure is associated with trajectory classes. Data came from a larger efficacy trial of 2.249 South African high school students who reported substance use at any time across 8 waves. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify developmental trajectories of substance use and the influence of healthy leisure. Results identified three increasing and one stable substance use trajectory and subjective healthy leisure served to protect against use. This study is the first of its kind to focus on a sample of South African adolescents and serves to develop a richer understanding of substance use development and the role of healthy leisure.

South African service users’ perceptions of patient‐reported outcome and experience measures for adolescent substance use treatment: A qualitative study

“…Adding a PROM to assess family functioning will need to be mindful of this complexity. PROMs to assess whether SUD treatment facilitated engagement in recreational alternatives face a similar challenge given limited availability of these activities in many South African communities and affordability and accessibility barriers to participation [33,34]. Despite these measurement challenges, our findings that adolescents think that these factors matter for their SUD treatment outcomes, confirm that adult-oriented PROMs for SUD treatment need to be adapted for greater relevance to adolescents.…”

Determinants of risky sexual practice, drug abuse and alcohol consumption in adolescents in Iran: a systematic literature review

“…In their research, Chiapetti et al concluded that one of the reasons for drug abuse was its fun [55]. Weybright also referred to the protective role of leisure activities against drug abuse [56].…”

Perspectives Emerged from Students and Supervisory Staff Interaction in Drug Use Prevention: A Q Methodology Investigation

“…Designated Q statements were provided to address the raised issues related to drug use prevention during supervisory interactions. The statement sentences were developed according to a literature review [ 6 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ] and experiences of youth counsellors. The research team discussed the draft statements with two senior youth counsellors; both worked with students of drug use problem for more than 10 years.…”

“…The research team discussed the draft statements with two senior youth counsellors; both worked with students of drug use problem for more than 10 years. After several group discussions, the statements were categorized as follows: strengthen information with personal relevance [ 6 , 36 , 37 , 38 ], health consequences of drug use [ 30 , 32 , 33 ], overcome barriers to change [ 6 , 28 , 33 , 34 , 35 ], development of preventive strategies [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ], and supportive relationships [ 29 , 35 , 39 ]. The statements were later reviewed by three health professionals with expertise on drug use to ensure their appropriateness.…”