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Cannabis use motives and personality risk factors

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... Motives for substance use: This scale has been made by Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, and Stewart (2014) and includes a list of twentyseven motives that assesses participant motives for substance use (in this study specifically opium and methamphetamine). These motives (Curiosity, (0). ...
... These motives (Curiosity, (0). The principal components analysis confirmed the psychometric properties of this scale (Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014). Substance use risk profile scale (SURPS-Persian version) (Woicik et al., 2009): This scale has twentythree questions, which according to Conrod et al.'s (2000) model assesses personality risk factors of addiction through four subscales including anxiety sensitivity, introversion and hopelessness, sensation seeking, and impulsivity (Woicik et al., 2009) scoring in the range of 1 (completely disagree) to 4 (completely agree). ...
... Concurrent, discriminant, and incremental validity of the SURPS are supported by convergent/divergent relationships between the SURPS subscales and other theoretically relevant personality and drug use criterion measures (Krank et al., 2011;Woicik et al., 2009). The Cronbach alpha for the SURPS scales ranged from acceptable (0.70 for anxiety sensitivity) to very good (0.88 for introversion and hopelessness) (Hecimovic et al., 2014). About the Persian version of this scale, the results showed that the factor structure and reliability of the internal consistency of the substance use risk profile scale was suitable. ...
Article
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Objective: This study investigates the different motives and substance use risk profile in opium and methamphetamine use. Method: The statistical sample includes Seventy-eight individuals with substance use history who referred to Drop-In Center (DIC). The respondents completed research instruments including demographic information (researcher-made questionnaire), substance use motives (Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014), and substance use risk profile scale (Woicik et al., 2009). Multivariate analysis of variance was utilized for data analysis on SPSS-24. Results: The results of the MANOVA indicated that availability, relaxation, enjoying, and sexual motives are significantly higher in individuals using methamphetamine. Also, the results of the substance use risk profile represent that there are significant differences in anxiety sensitivity, sensation-seeking, and impulsivity in opium and methamphetamine use. Conclusions: Findings indicate the important role of motives and substance use risk profile in the tendency to the use of different types of substances. These various motives and personality risk factors should be considered in educational settings and psychological treatment for different types of substance use, especially opiate or stimulating substances.
... Research has indicated that personality traits predict motives for use for various substances (Comeau, Stewart, & Loba, 2001). For instance, anxiety sensitivity is associated with conformity motives for cannabis use (Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014). While research linking personality traits to EC use is lacking, the relationship between motives and EC use has been explored and has identified several key themes: self-medication (coping), social connectedness (social), freedom and control (enhancement), and motivation by caregivers (conformity) (Sharma, Wigginton, Meurk, Ford, & Gartner, 2017). ...
... Individuals with these conditions who had never smoked believed ECs would improve relaxation and concentration, demonstrating a link between H, coping, and enhancement motives (Spears et al., 2018). Although these findings do not provide a direct link between H as a trait and motives for EC use, there is evidence of this direct link with alcohol and cannabis use-H independently predicts coping-motivated drinking, H and coping motives both predict problematic drinking (Baines, Jones, & Christiansen, 2016;Mushquash, Stewart, Mushquash, Comeau, & McGrath, 2014), and H is linked to coping motives for cannabis use (Hecimovic et al., 2014). ...
... In their subsequent longitudinal analysis, SS was shown to be related to the transition into EC use from non-smoking (Case, Harrell, Pérez, et al., 2017). Although the literature on this link is lacking, SS has been linked with other drugs (e.g., cannabis) via expansion motives (Hecimovic et al., 2014). ...
Article
Introduction Research concerning e-cigarette use has revealed links between personality traits and motives for use. However, no studies have examined how these traits holistically relate to motives. Methods E-cigarette users (N = 468) residing in Nova Scotia, Canada (aged 16–24) completed an online survey containing a demographic and vaping questionnaire, the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale, and a modified Drinking Motives Questionnaire. A k-means cluster analysis and one-way MANOVA were used to segment users and measure differences in motives for use by cluster membership. Crosstabulation analyses were conducted to measure demographic differences. Results A four-cluster solution generated groups that differed based on SURPS: Anxiety sensitivity laden risk, global high-risk, global low-risk, and sensation seeking laden risk vape users. The global low-risk group had the lowest levels of coping, conformity, and social motives, while the global high-risk group had the highest levels of these motives except coping. Females were overrepresented in the anxiety sensitivity laden risk group and underrepresented in the sensation seeking laden risk group. Employed individuals were overrepresented in the global low-risk group. Conclusion Segmenting e-cigarette users based on SURPS can identify groups with stronger vaping motives to better prevent initiation and continued use.
... By contrast, anxiety sensitivity (AS) and hopelessness (HOP) have been shown to be associated with preferential use/misuse of depressant drugs, such as alcohol, sedatives and opioids [23,25]. These traits also appear to predict different motives for drinking and substance use with SS being consistently associated with enhancement motives for drinking and drug use, AS with coping and conformity motives and HOP with a specific motivation to manage painful emotions and memories [23,26,27]. Interestingly, IMP has been shown to be associated with a motivationally undefined pattern of substance use, whereby all drinking and drug use situations (availability) appear to motivate substance use in high-impulsive individuals [23,26]. ...
... These traits also appear to predict different motives for drinking and substance use with SS being consistently associated with enhancement motives for drinking and drug use, AS with coping and conformity motives and HOP with a specific motivation to manage painful emotions and memories [23,26,27]. Interestingly, IMP has been shown to be associated with a motivationally undefined pattern of substance use, whereby all drinking and drug use situations (availability) appear to motivate substance use in high-impulsive individuals [23,26]. ...
... Nevertheless, the research on personality-targeted interventions remains rather limited, relative to the potential applications of the approach. Despite studies showing that the SURPS personality dimensions are relevant to substance use in patients receiving treatment in general psychiatry, substance use or forensic settings [26,32,68,83], personality-targeted interventions have yet to be tested in clinical settings with substancedependent adults reporting concurrent mental health problems or with incarcerated individuals at risk of returning to substance use upon release from prison or following sentencing (e.g. for driving under the influence). Similarly, the SURPS dimensions have been shown to be highly relevant to smoking behaviour [30,84], yet none of the published trials on personality-targeted interventions report smoking outcomes. ...
Article
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Purpose of ReviewPersonality factors have been implicated in risk for substance use disorders through longitudinal and neurobiologic studies for over four decades. Only recently, however, have targeted interventions been developed to assist individuals with personality risk factors for substance use disorders manage their risk. This article reviews current practices in personality-targeted interventions and the eight randomised trials examining the efficacy of such approaches with respect to reducing and preventing substance use and misuse. Recent FindingsResults indicate a moderate mean effect size for personality-targeted approaches across several different substance use outcomes and intervention settings and formats. Conclusions Personality-targeted interventions offer several advantages over traditional substance use interventions, particularly when attempting to prevent development of problems in high-risk individuals or when addressing concurrent mental health problems in brief interventions.
... Impulsivity and its cognitive correlate, poor response inhibition, appear to be specifically associated with conduct problems and misuse of stimulants (including prescription stimulant medications); sensation seeking and its neurocognitive correlate, reward sensitivity, are more associated with alcohol and cannabis misuse (2,(20)(21)(22)(23). Anxiety sensitivity and hopelessness have been shown to be associated with risk for internalizing problems and preferential use/misuse of depressant drugs, such as alcohol, sedatives, and opioids (19,20,(24)(25)(26). ...
... The PreVenture Program is a brief (two group sessions) school-based cognitive-behavioral program focusing on building personality-specific skills and self-efficacy to reduce need on the part of a young person to use substances as a way to cope with interpersonal or intrapersonal challenges associated with each personality trait (27,28). Given research indicating that different neurocognitive profiles mediate the relationship between specific personality factors and concurrent mental health conditions (22)(23)(24)(25)(26), the program focuses on promoting personality-specific cognitivebehavioral skills (e.g., skills relevant to the management of poor response inhibition for teens who report high levels of impulsivity vs. skills relevant to the management of global negative attributional styles for teens who report high levels of hopelessness). Numerous randomized trials have shown that the program is effective in reducing alcohol and drug use and mental health symptoms by a notable 30%-80% among secondary students (13-17, 21, 27, 28). ...
Article
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Objective: Rates of substance use disorders (SUDs) remain significantly above national targets for health promotion and disease prevention in Canada and the United States. This study investigated the 5-year SUD outcomes following a selective drug and alcohol prevention program targeting personality risk factors for adolescent substance misuse. Methods: The Co-Venture trial is a cluster randomized trial involving 31 high schools in the greater Montreal area that agreed to conduct annual health behavior surveys for 5 years on the entire 7th grade cohort of assenting students enrolled at the school in 2012 or 2013. Half of all schools were randomly assigned to be trained and assisted in the delivery of the personality-targeted PreVenture Program to all eligible 7th grade participants. The intervention consisted of a brief (two-session) group cognitive-behavioral intervention that is delivered in a personality-matched fashion to students who have elevated scores on one of four personality traits linked to early-onset substance misuse: impulsivity, sensation seeking, anxiety sensitivity, or hopelessness. Results: Mixed-effects multilevel Bayesian models were used to estimate the effect of the intervention on the year-by-year change in probability of SUD. When baseline differences were controlled for, a time-by-intervention interaction revealed positive growth in SUD rate for the control group (b=1.380, SE=0.143, odds ratio=3.97) and reduced growth for the intervention group (b=-0.423, SE=0.173, 95% CI=-0.771, -0.084, odds ratio=0.655), indicating a 35% reduction in the annual increase in SUD rate in the intervention condition relative to the control condition. Group differences in SUD rates were reliably nonzero (95% confidence) at the fourth and fifth year of assessment. Secondary analyses revealed no significant intervention effects on growth of anxiety, depression, or total mental health difficulties over the four follow-up periods. Conclusions: This study showed for the first time that personality-targeted interventions might protect against longer-term development of SUD.
... La lógica de este resultado recae en el hecho de que es la droga ilícita más consumida en todo el mundo (Anthony et al., 2017), entre otras razones por su fácil asequibilidad y también porque sus efectos secundarios se perciben como menos perniciosos que los producidos por otras sustancias (Manning & Bouchard, 2021;Reiman, 2009;Tyskiewicz et al., 2022). Algunos estudios han relacionado factores de la personalidad con la motivación para el consumo de ciertas drogas (Conrod et al., 2000;Hecimovic et al., 2014). En el caso del cannabis, el aumento de la «búsqueda de sensaciones» se relacionó positivamente con los motivos de expansión, probablemente debido a las propiedades espirituales e introspectivas de esta droga (Hecimovic et al., 2014;Heide et al., 2022;Zablocki et al., 1991). ...
... Algunos estudios han relacionado factores de la personalidad con la motivación para el consumo de ciertas drogas (Conrod et al., 2000;Hecimovic et al., 2014). En el caso del cannabis, el aumento de la «búsqueda de sensaciones» se relacionó positivamente con los motivos de expansión, probablemente debido a las propiedades espirituales e introspectivas de esta droga (Hecimovic et al., 2014;Heide et al., 2022;Zablocki et al., 1991). Otro aspecto interesante es la interacción entre varias sustancias; algunas investigaciones sugieren que el consumo de cannabis puede propiciar el uso de otra sustancia o que puede ser sustituido por ésta (Crost & Guerrero, 2012;Keith et al., 2015;O'Hara et al., 2016). ...
Article
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RESUMEN: El inicio en el consumo de drogas suele ocurrir durante la juventud de las personas, debido a motivos como la curiosidad y el afán por experimentar. Este trabajo tuvo como finalidad analizar una selección de estudios recientes que abordan y resaltan los motivos intrínsecos de curiosidad y de expansión vinculados al consumo de drogas. Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda bibliográfica con el propósito de seleccionar artículos en función de una serie de criterios establecidos. Un total de 32 artículos fueron incluidos en la revisión para su posterior evaluación. El motivo intrínseco más frecuentemente reportado en los estudios fue el de curiosidad (62.5%), seguido por los motivos de expansión (56.25%), que implican la experimentación, la autoexploración y la búsqueda de una compresión más profunda. Que la curiosidad se sitúe como uno de los principales motivos entre la población para el acercamiento a las drogas constituye un dato de crucial importancia con vistas a la elaboración de programas que fomenten el conocimiento y que disipen la incertidumbre propia de los jóvenes, especialmente de los que son adolescentes, dado que es la etapa vital en la que se suele dar el primer contacto con estas sustancias. ABSTRACT: The beginning of drug use usually occurs during the youth of people, due to reasons such as curiosity and the desire to experiment. The goal of this work was to analyze a selection of recent studies that address and highlight the intrinsic motives of curiosity and expansion linked to drug use. A bibliographic search was performed with the purpose of selecting articles based on a series of established criteria. A total of 32 articles were included in the review for further assessment. The intrinsic motive most frequently reported in the studies was curiosity (62.5%), followed by expansion motives (56.25%), which involve experimentation, self-exploration and the search for deeper understanding. The fact that curiosity is one of the main reasons for the initiation of drug use among the population is crucially important information for the development of programs that promote knowledge and dispel the uncertainty of young people, especially of those who are adolescents, since it is the vital stage in which the first contact with drugs usually occurs.
... Groups did not differ in age, sex, ethnicity, or race (all p values > 0.1). Clinical characterization of groups on measures of subclinical psychopathology and personality, as well as cognitive functioning, is reported in Table 1; group differences replicate previous findings in the literature for UC, indicating that this young sample shares many similarities with older samples in previous studies (7,10,11,(64)(65)(66)(67). ...
... Thus, this sample may not generalize to cohorts of UC who are from more diverse backgrounds or have more severe cannabis use problems. However, UC in the current study demonstrated elevated disinhibition, psychoticism, and cognitive impairments that replicate previous clinical findings in UC (7,10,11,(64)(65)(66)(67). Importantly, these clinical findings did not explain the relationship between problematic cannabis use and impaired sensory gating. ...
Article
Background: Cannabis use is associated with altered processing of external (exteroceptive) and internal (interoceptive) sensory stimuli. However, little research exists on whether subjective experiences of these processes are altered in people who frequently use cannabis. Altered exteroception may influence externally oriented attention, whereas interoceptive differences have implications for intoxication, craving, and withdrawal states.Objectives: The goal of the current study was to investigate subjective experiences of exteroceptive sensory gating and interoception in people frequently using cannabis. We hypothesized subjective impairments in sensory gating and elevations in affect-related interoceptive awareness; furthermore, such deviations would relate to cannabis use patterns.Methods: This cross-sectional study of community adults 18-40 years old included 72 individuals (50% female) who used cannabis at least twice a week (not intoxicated during study) and 78 individuals who did not use cannabis (60% female). Participants completed the Sensory Gating Inventory and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-2 surveys. People using cannabis completed surveys on cannabis use patterns. Analyses tested group differences and associations with cannabis use.Results: People using cannabis reported impaired sensory gating (d = 0.37-0.44; all p values < 0.05) and elevations of interoceptive awareness related to detection and affect (d = 0.21-0.61; all p values < 0.05). Problematic cannabis use was associated with increased sensory gating impairments (r = 0.37, p < .05). Interoceptive awareness was unrelated to cannabis use variables.Conclusion: These findings extend literature on subjective experiences of sensory processing in people using cannabis. Findings may inform inclusion of external attentional tendencies and internal bodily awareness in assessments of risk and novel treatment approaches.
... The SUMM structures motives into eight domains: enhancement, social, conformity, anxiety coping, depression coping, boredom coping, self-expansion, and achievement. Additionally, some studies have examined the types of motivation in greater detail under the theoretical framework of the DMM [17][18][19][20]. ...
... To evaluate the instrument's concurrent validity, we assessed personality traits previously identified as correlates of drug use motivation [17,18]. Complementarily, we included items based on the health belief model (HBM), which reflects the measure's theoretical underpinnings premised on the rational anticipation of drug use repercussions [23][24][25][26]. ...
Article
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Drug use is increasing in South Korea, necessitating evidence-based policy interventions. However, there is a dearth of reliable tools for identifying the personal and psychological factors that drive drug use among Korean adults. In this study, we developed and validated an instrument based on a motivational model to measure drug use motivation in the Korean context. A survey was administered online to 250 Korean adults aged 19–59. Of the initial 37 potential items evaluated, 23 were retained after exploratory factor analysis. Based on their relevance and factor loadings, the final scale consisted of 15 items distributed across five distinct factors: enhancement, coping, social, positive expectancy, and negative expectancy. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the strong fit of the five-factor model. Criterion-related validity was demonstrated by the significant correlations between the five factors and the selected criterion variables. This instrument can be used in research initiatives related to drug addiction and can provide basic data for policy interventions intended to curb drug addiction problems in South Korea. The novelty and broad applicability of this instrument make it invaluable for exploring the psychological underpinnings of drug use in South Korea.
... Young adults are under academic pressure and are dealing with several stresses at once (e.g., pressure to succeed, competition with peers, financial strain, concerns Anxiety sensitivity (AS), Hopelessness (HOP) Sensation Seeking (SS) and Impulsivity (IMP) about the future. They are getting close to the age when many addictive substances start to be used (Hecimovic et al., 2014;Holloway et al., 2014;Tavolacci et al., 2013). ...
... Fifth, we did not investigate the connection between personality and prescription drugs usage motivations. It would be interesting to test if personality predicts: (1) self-medication vs. socialrecreational use or (2) coping, enhancement, conformity, and social substance use motives as adapted to prescription drugs (Hecimovic et al., 2014). Finally, we did not ask about socioeconomic position or ethnicity. ...
Article
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Background Young individuals (18 to 25 years old) misuse prescription drugs at the highest rates. College or university audience may come with added risk. Previous studies indicate that personality plays a significant role in the prediction of much addictive behavior. Method Four characteristics of anxiety symptoms, hopelessness, sensation seeking, and impulsivity have continuously been linked. The major focus on overall prescription drug use, inconsistent operationalization of misuse, and failure to account for alcohol use restrict published studies on personality as a predictor of prescription drug misuse. Small and general sample sizes were used. Result We wanted to know more about how personality influenced total use, use that was approved by a doctor, and misuse of prescription sedatives/tranquilizers, opioids, and stimulants. Young adults in Karachi, Pakistan were included in the large (N = 1755) sample (mean age = 18.6 years; 68.9% female). We hypothesized that sedatives/tranquilizers would be associated to anxiety sensitivity, opioids to hopelessness, stimulants to sensation seeking, and impulsivity to all three. Except for the impulsivity to opioid use pathway, our “any use” model’s predictions were entirely supported. Sensation seeking predicted stimulants for misuse, anxiety sensitivity (marginally) predicted sedatives/tranquilizers, and impulsivity predicted all three. Conclusion Our models advocate for the use of interventions that are tailored to each young adults’ personality. Targeting anxiety sensitivity for sedative/tranquilizer misuse, sensation seeking for stimulant misuse and impulsivity for unrestrained prescription drug misuse are specifically suggested by the studies.
... Impulsivity (IMP), or impulsiveness, is the tendency to act without sufficient forethought (33). IMP has been associated with a pattern of polysubstance use (34,35). Deficits in response inhibition make high IMP teens more susceptible to early experimentation and to later compulsive substance use (36). ...
... Their use is legal only when prescribed by a licensed practitioner and taken by the person for whom they were prescribed. For those high in IMP, availability is the best motivational predictor of misuse (34). Adolescents who report symptoms of ADHD are more likely to have stimulant prescriptions, which they can then misuse [e.g., by taking their stimulants in greater amounts or more often than prescribed, via non-intended routes, for non-prescribed reasons, and/or with contraindicated substances; (91)]. ...
Article
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Background: Fifteen to 25-year-olds are the age group most likely to misuse prescription drugs. Few studies have tested theory-driven models of adolescent risk for prescription drug misuse. Moreover, rarely are distinct pathways to different forms of prescription drug misuse considered. Methods: We tested mediational paths from personality to mental health symptoms to prescription drug misuse, informed by etiological models of addiction. We specified pathways from particular personality traits to unique forms of prescription drug misuse via specific mental health symptoms. We used semi-longitudinal data collected across two waves of the Co-Venture Trial. Our sample included students from 31 Canadian high schools tested in Grade 9 (n = 3,024) and again in Grade 10 (n = 2,869; 95% retention). Personality (hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity, sensation seeking) was assessed in Grade 9. Mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, ADHD, conduct disorder) and prescription drug misuse (opioids, sedatives/tranquilizers, stimulants) were assessed at both time points. Results: Consistent with the negative affect regulation model, hopelessness was specifically associated with opioid misuse via depressive symptoms, and anxiety sensitivity was specifically associated with sedative/tranquilizer misuse via anxiety symptoms. Consistent with positive affect regulation, sensation seeking was directly associated with stimulant misuse. Consistent with the psychological dysregulation model, impulsivity was associated with stimulant misuse via ADHD symptoms. And consistent with the deviance proneness model, impulsivity was also associated with unconstrained (i.e., all three forms of) prescription drug misuse via conduct disorder symptoms. Conclusions: Screening for adolescents high in hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity, sensation seeking, or impulsivity and providing them with personality-matched cognitive-behavioral interventions may be helpful in preventing or mitigating prescription drug misuse. Our results point to the specific mental health symptoms that are important to target in each of these personality-matched interventions.
... These four factors form the so-called Substance Use Risk Profile Scale [70]. The model was tested on groups of cannabis users [70][71][72]. It was demonstrated that SS was positively associated with expansion motives, Imp was associated with drug availability motives, AS was associated with conformity motives, and I/H was associated with coping motives for cannabis use [72]. ...
... The model was tested on groups of cannabis users [70][71][72]. It was demonstrated that SS was positively associated with expansion motives, Imp was associated with drug availability motives, AS was associated with conformity motives, and I/H was associated with coping motives for cannabis use [72]. Therefore, the authors of this model concluded that four personality risk factors in the model are associated with distinct cannabis use motives. ...
Chapter
This chapter includes results of data analysis. The relationship between personality profiles and drug consumption is described and the individual drug consumption risks for different drugs is evaluated. Significant differences between groups of drug users and non-users are identified. Machine learning algorithms solve the user/non-user classification problem for many drugs with impressive sensitivity and specificity. Analysis of correlations between use of different drugs reveals existence of clusters of substances with highly correlated use, which we term correlation pleiades. It is proven that the mean profiles of users of different drugs are significantly different (for benzodiazepines, ecstasy, and heroin). Visualisation of risk by risk maps is presented. The difference between users of different drugs is analysed and three distinct types of users are identified for benzodiazepines, ecstasy, and heroin.
... These four factors form the so-called Substance Use Risk Profile Scale [70]. The model was tested on groups of cannabis users [70][71][72]. It was demonstrated that SS was positively associated with expansion motives, Imp was associated with drug availability motives, AS was associated with conformity motives, and I/H was associated with coping motives for cannabis use [72]. ...
... The model was tested on groups of cannabis users [70][71][72]. It was demonstrated that SS was positively associated with expansion motives, Imp was associated with drug availability motives, AS was associated with conformity motives, and I/H was associated with coping motives for cannabis use [72]. Therefore, the authors of this model concluded that four personality risk factors in the model are associated with distinct cannabis use motives. ...
Chapter
Drug use disorder is characterised by several terms: addiction, dependence, and abuse. We discuss the notion of psychoactive substance and relations between the existing definitions. The personality traits which may be important for predisposition to use of drugs are introduced: the Five-Factor Model, impulsivity, and sensation-seeking. A number of studies have illustrated that personality traits are associated with drug consumption. The previous pertinent results are reviewed. A database with information on 1,885 respondents and their usage of 18 drugs is introduced. The results of our study are briefly outlined: the personality traits (Five-Factor Model, impulsivity, and sensation-seeking) together with simple demographic data make possible the prediction of the risk of consumption of individual drugs; personality profiles for users of different drugs. In particular, groups of heroin and ecstasy users are significantly different; there exist three correlation pleiades of drugs. These are clusters of drugs with correlated consumption, centred around heroin, ecstasy, and benzodiazepines.
... These four factors form the so-called Substance Use Risk Profile Scale [70]. The model was tested on groups of cannabis users [70][71][72]. It was demonstrated that SS was positively associated with expansion motives, Imp was associated with drug availability motives, AS was associated with conformity motives, and I/H was associated with coping motives for cannabis use [72]. ...
... The model was tested on groups of cannabis users [70][71][72]. It was demonstrated that SS was positively associated with expansion motives, Imp was associated with drug availability motives, AS was associated with conformity motives, and I/H was associated with coping motives for cannabis use [72]. Therefore, the authors of this model concluded that four personality risk factors in the model are associated with distinct cannabis use motives. ...
Book
Full-text available
This book discusses the psychological traits associated with drug consumption through the statistical analysis of a new database with information on 1885 respondents and use of 18 drugs. After reviewing published works on the psychological profiles of drug users and describing the data mining and machine learning methods used, it demonstrates that the personality traits (five factor model, impulsivity, and sensation seeking) together with simple demographic data make it possible to predict the risk of consumption of individual drugs with a sensitivity and specificity above 70% for most drugs. It also analyzes the correlations of use of different substances and describes the groups of drugs with correlated use, identifying significant differences in personality profiles for users of different drugs. The book is intended for advanced undergraduates and first-year PhD students, as well as researchers and practitioners. Although no previous knowledge of machine learning, advanced data mining concepts or modern psychology of personality is assumed, familiarity with basic statistics and some experience in the use of probabilities would be helpful. For a more detailed introduction to statistical methods, the book provides recommendations for undergraduate textbooks.
... These four factors form the so-called Substance Use Risk Profile Scale [70]. The model was tested on groups of cannabis users [70][71][72]. It was demonstrated that SS was positively associated with expansion motives, Imp was associated with drug availability motives, AS was associated with conformity motives, and I/H was associated with coping motives for cannabis use [72]. ...
... The model was tested on groups of cannabis users [70][71][72]. It was demonstrated that SS was positively associated with expansion motives, Imp was associated with drug availability motives, AS was associated with conformity motives, and I/H was associated with coping motives for cannabis use [72]. Therefore, the authors of this model concluded that four personality risk factors in the model are associated with distinct cannabis use motives. ...
Chapter
In this chapter, we give a brief outline of the methods of data analysis used, from elementary T-scores to nonlinear principal component analysis (PCA), including data normalisation, quantification of categorical attributes, categorical principal component analysis (CatPCA), sparse PCA, the method of principal variables, the original ‘double’ Kaiser selection rule, k-nearest neighbours for various distances, decision tree with various split criteria (information gain, Gini gain or DKM gain), linear discriminant analysis, Gaussian mixture, probability density function estimation by radial basis functions, logistic regression, naïve Bayes approach, random forest, and data visualisation on the nonlinear PCA canvas.
... Two hundred and twelve adults with a history of cannabis use [14] were recruited through online advertisements from the Halifax, Canada community. Twentyfour participants were excluded due to missing social context data [total N = 188 (76 females)]. ...
... Participants were: presented with a list of 29 cannabis use motives and asked to indicate which reasons applied during their most recent using occasion [14]; asked whether they used any other substances on this occasion, and if so, which substances; and queried on how many days within the last 30 they used cannabis. Cannabis abuse/dependence symptoms were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV-TR Axis I Disorders [15] and five psychiatric disorders were assessed with the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire [16] consisting of yes/no questions regarding DSM-IV [17] Axis I disorder symptoms (Table 1) where screening positive suggests the individual is likely to qualify for that diagnosis [16]. ...
Article
Introduction and Aims Given the increase in cannabis availability and use in North America, identification of risk factors for cannabis use and dependence is paramount. One factor that may be associated with various cannabis‐related adverse outcomes is the context in which it is used. This secondary analysis study sought to examine the extent to which the social context of cannabis use is related to patterns of use and associated harms. Design and Methods One hundred and eighty‐eight adult cannabis users were community‐recruited in Halifax, Canada. Participants took part in a face‐to‐face structured interview where they provided information about the social context of their most recent cannabis‐using occasion and about their patterns of, and motives for, cannabis use. Results Compared to individuals reporting their most recent cannabis‐using occasion as social, solitary users (n = 55) were significantly more likely to screen positive for psychosis, endorse more symptoms of cannabis abuse/dependence, report using cannabis to cope, and use cannabis on more days within the previous 30 days. On the other hand, social users were significantly more likely to report using alcohol in addition to cannabis during their most recent cannabis‐using occasion (all P < 0.05). Discussion and Conclusions Results suggest that solitary cannabis use may be associated with specific motives for use and future adverse consequences. Findings from this study serve as a guide for future investigations which could ultimately inform public policy and the development of targeted harm‐reduction strategies.
... Multiple Regressions were conducted to determine if participation in and connectedness to the LGBT community were associated with differences in substance use involvement (ASSIST) among the total sample and within gender and sexual identity subgroups (Model 1). A second model controlling for variables found to influence substance use in previous research (wellbeing (Degenhardt et al., 2008), psychological distress (Deasy, Coughlan, Pironom, Jourdan, & Mannix-McNamara, 2014), coping self-efficacy (Choi, Krieger, & Hecht, 2013), substance use motives (Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014), resilience (Belcher, Volkow, Moeller, & Ferré, 2014), sexual orientation minority stress (Lehavot & Simoni, 2011;McDavitt et al., 2008), and age (Blum & Nelson-Mmari, 2004) were then conducted for the total sample and within subgroups. Variables with an effect size below η 2 ≤ 0.010 in group comparisons (see Table 1) were excluded to reduce the number of control variables and to strengthen parsimony. ...
... The effects of participation in the LGBT community on substance use remained after a number of risk factors for substance use were entered into the analysis. These included social substance use motives, psychological distress, wellbeing, age and resilience, which have all been associated with substance use in general population samples (Belcher et al., 2014;Blum & Nelson-Mmari, 2004;Choi et al., 2013;Deasy et al., 2014;Degenhardt et al., 2008;Hecimovic et al., 2014). Minority stress (violence and harassment) was also entered as a covariate into the analysis, as it has previously been associated with substance use among sexual minority people (Hatzenbuehler, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Erickson, 2008). ...
Article
Introduction: Research shows disproportionate levels of substance use among sexual minority young people. A range of reasons for these disparities have been suggested, including connectedness to and participation in the LGBT community. Little is known about how these constructs are related to substance use involvement in sexual minority (sub)groups or how these relationships are affected by other factors. Methods: 1266 young sexual minority Australians completed a cross-sectional online survey. Multiple regressions were conducted to assess associations between connectedness to and participation in the LGBT community on substance use involvement, before and after controlling for other factors such as substance use motives, psychological distress, wellbeing, resilience, minority stress, and age. Results/conclusion: Most participants identified as homosexual (57%, n=726) and male (54%, n=683). In the overall sample, participation in and connectedness the LGBT community were significantly associated with increased substance use involvement before (F(2,1263)=35.930, p≤0.001, R2=0.052) and after controlling for other variables (F(8,1095)=33.538, p≤0.001, R2=0.191), with meaningfully higher effect sizes for participation than for connectedness. After controlling for other variables, connectedness only remained significant for homosexuals. Effect sizes for participation were higher for females than males, and bisexuals than homosexuals. However, participation in the LGBT Community was not associated with substance use in participants identifying with a non-binary gender identity. In conclusion, substance use involvement was associated with participation in the LGBT community, but connectedness to the LGBT community only had a weak association with substance use involvement in the homosexual subgroup.
... Een groot aantal studies laat zien dat de SURPS-persoonlijkheidsdimensies gerelateerd zijn aan middelengebruik bij adolescenten en volwassenen zonder LVB (zie o.a. Hecimovic et al. 2014;Krank et al. 2011;Mackinnon et al. 2014;Malmberg et al. 2010;Spriggens en Hides 2015;Woicik et al. 2009). Deze relatie wordt verklaard door de positieve of negatieve bekrachtigende rol die middelengebruik kan hebben bij de specifieke persoonlijkheidskenmerken. Zo kan middelengebruik voor mensen met angstgevoeligheid of een neiging tot negatief denken negatief worden bekrachtigd doordat angstsensaties of negatief affect gedempt worden (Comeau et al. 2001;Hecimovic et al. 2014). ...
... Hecimovic et al. 2014;Krank et al. 2011;Mackinnon et al. 2014;Malmberg et al. 2010;Spriggens en Hides 2015;Woicik et al. 2009). Deze relatie wordt verklaard door de positieve of negatieve bekrachtigende rol die middelengebruik kan hebben bij de specifieke persoonlijkheidskenmerken. Zo kan middelengebruik voor mensen met angstgevoeligheid of een neiging tot negatief denken negatief worden bekrachtigd doordat angstsensaties of negatief affect gedempt worden (Comeau et al. 2001;Hecimovic et al. 2014). ...
Article
Full-text available
Dit artikel gaat over een onderzoek naar de samenhang van de persoonlijkheidsdimensies angstgevoeligheid, negatief denken, impulsiviteit en sensatiezoeken met stoornissen in het gebruik van middelen bij mensen met een licht verstandelijke beperking (LVB). De data zijn verzameld met de SURPS (persoonlijkheidsdimensies) en de SumID-Q (middelengebruik) bij 118 cliënten van een zorginstelling voor mensen met LVB en ernstige gedragsproblemen. Het gemiddelde IQ van de deelnemers was 71,1 en de gemiddelde leeftijd was 20,5 jaar. Bij mensen die minder angstgevoelig zijn, meer negatief denken, impulsiever zijn en meer sensatiezoeken, werd een hoger risico op stoornissen in het gebruik van alcohol gevonden. Mensen met een sterkere neiging tot negatief denken en sensatiezoeken hadden een hoger risico op stoornissen in het gebruik van drugs. De SURPS-persoonlijkheidsdimensies kunnen worden gebruikt om mensen met LVB met een groter risico op middelenmisbruik te identificeren en kunnen dienen als basis voor gepersonaliseerde interventies met betrekking tot middelenmisbruik bij deze groep.
... The above four personality dimensions are commonly assessed by the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS; Woicik et al., 2009) which was developed in a community-based sample of adult substance users without MBID ( Conrod, Pihl, Stewart & Dongier, 2000). Ample research shows that the SURPS personality dimensions are related to various measures of substance use in adolescents (e.g., Krank et al., 2011;Malmberg et al., 2010;Woicik et al., 2009) and (young) adults ( Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014;Mackinnon et al., 2014;Spriggens & Hides, 2015;Woicik et al., 2009) with average intelligence. The SURPS reflects the theoretical perspective that vulnerability to substance use (disorder) can be explained by a sensitivity to either negative or positive reinforcement processes that maintain substance use ( Woicik et al., 2009). ...
... Anxiety sensitivity is defined as the fear of symptoms of physical arousal and related to self-medication of anxious symptoms through the use of alcohol and/or drugs ( Comeau et al., 2001;Conrod, Pihl & Vassileva, 1998;Woicik et al., 2009). Negative reinforcement related to negative thinking is characterized by substance use to relief negative affect ( Hecimovic et al., 2014;Woicik et al., 2009). Negative thinking has been shown to be related to alcohol use ( Krank et al., 2011;Mackinnon et al., 2014), problem drinking ( Krank et al., 2011;Mackinnon et al., 2014), cannabis use ( Krank et al., 2011) and hard drug use (i.e. ...
... The prioritization of features such as age, snus usage, e-cigarette usage, and health risk perceptions in our study provides crucial insights for social science research, particularly in studying substance use (Ruokolainen et al., 2024). These features reflect the multidimensional nature of substance use behaviors, encompassing demographic factors, personal behaviors, and attitudes toward health risks (Blanco et al., 2014;Hecimovic et al., 2014;Mariani and Williams, 2021). This comprehensive approach strengthens our understanding of the complex interplay of factors influencing cannabis use. ...
Chapter
This study conducts an in-depth analysis of feature selection methods in AI, underscoring their importance in social science and public health research. Using the Finnish National Drug Survey's 2022 dataset, which comprises 76 selected features, the study aims to identify the main predictors of cannabis use among Finnish populations over the last 12 months. Fifteen feature selection techniques were applied, from simple K-Best filters to complex LSTM models, to determine the top 10 predictors. The methodology involves data preprocessing and uses various metrics—precision, recall, F1 score, accuracy, Cohen Kappa Score, MCC, and ROC AUC Score—for a comprehensive evaluation of each method. Results show a diversity in performance across 15 models, identifying 39 unique features. The analysis of the predictive model primarily examines a BiLSTM model and demonstrates considerable variations in the effectiveness of different feature selection methods. Findings suggest that while some models, like wrapper and sequential selections, may underperform due to their limitations, others like LSTM, RFE, embedded, and Information Gain excel by capturing complex relationships and refining feature sets. This research highlights the utility of different feature selection techniques in enhancing predictions and supporting prevention program designs. It aims to guide social science researchers in choosing appropriate methods that cater to the complexities of their subjects, improving understanding and interventions in areas like cannabis use.
... Our study of adult, community-recruited cannabis users (Hecimovic et al., 2014) found that distinct personality factors were associated with different motives for cannabis use. For example, we showed once again that AS was linked to increased conformity motives for cannabis use. ...
Article
Full-text available
Le présent article résume notre programme de recherche sur la sensibilité à l’anxiété (SA) – un facteur dispositionnel cognitif et affectif impliquant des craintes de sensations liées à l’anxiété en raison de croyances selon lesquelles ces sensations entraînent des conséquences catastrophiques. La SA et ses dimensions d’ordre inférieur sont considérées comme des facteurs transdiagnostiques de risque ou de maintien des troubles émotionnels et des troubles addictifs. La compréhension des mécanismes par lesquels la SA exerce ses effets peut révéler des cibles d’intervention clés pour les programmes de prévention et de traitement axés sur la SA. Dans le présent article, je passe en revue les recherches fondamentales que nous avons menées pour comprendre les mécanismes qui relient la SA à ces troubles et à leurs symptômes. Je décris également les interventions transdiagnostiques ciblées sur la SA et j’illustre la manière dont la recherche fondamentale a permis d’orienter le contenu de ces interventions. Enfin, je passe en revue les projets en cours dans mon laboratoire et je souligne les orientations futures importantes dans ce domaine. Bien que des progrès considérables aient été réalisés au cours des trois dernières décennies et que la recherche ait considérablement fait avancer notre compréhension de la SA en tant que facteur transdiagnostique, de nombreuses questions restent en suspens. Les réponses devraient nous aider à affiner les interventions afin d’en faire bénéficier au maximum les personnes qui ont une grande peur d’avoir peur.
... We found high impulsivity to be a significant predictor for use initiation. This was consistent with the idea that impulsive subjects are "marked by their inability to weigh immediate reward against long term consequence" (Hecimovic et al., 2014) and thus engage more in potentially harmful substance use. ...
Article
Background: As a big European city famous for its party scene, Berlin attracts college students that are a high-risk population for cannabis use and use disorder. College years are often associated with new behavior patterns, but the factors leading to cannabis initiation are rarely studied past adolescence. This study describes the longitudinal evolution of college students' cannabis use over two years and its correlates. Method: Data was collected among all students of Berlin's public colleges via two online surveys (N = 1,201, mean interval = 16 months). Multivariable binary logistic regressions were performed on four outcomes: regular use, use initiation, use reduction and use cessation. Several dimensions of covariates were used: socio-demographic factors, psychological (locus of control, impulsivity, psychiatric diagnosis), behavioral (other substance use), perceived harm, declared intention to reduce and setting of cannabis use. Results: Overall, the majority of respondents did not change their cannabis use. The factors for use initiation (impulsivity, tobacco and alcohol use) were not fully symmetric to the factors leading to cutting down/quitting (locus of control, perceived harm, tobacco use). Perceived harm had an impact on quitting, but not on reducing use. The intention to reduce did not significantly predict subsequent use behavior. Most regular users use cannabis at home, which was associated with a low probability to reduce. Conclusions: No simple symmetry exists between correlates of initiation and cessation: tobacco co-use is important for both, while impulsivity and alcohol use lead to initiation and internal locus of control facilitates cessation.
... creative (Hecimovic et al., 2014), and the majority of cannabis users report being more creative under the influence of cannabis (Green et al., 2003). Prominent creatives have relayed similar beliefs. ...
Article
Full-text available
In this research, we examine the effects of cannabis use on creativity and evaluations of creativity. Drawing on both the broaden-and-build theory and the affect-as-information model, we propose that cannabis use would facilitate more creativity as well as more favorable evaluations of creativity via cannabis-induced joviality. We tested this prediction in two experiments, wherein participants were randomly assigned to either a cannabis use or cannabis abstinence condition. We find support for our prediction that cannabis use facilitates joviality, which translates to more favorable evaluations of creativity of one's own ideas and others' ideas. However, our prediction that cannabis use facilitates creativity via joviality was not supported. Our findings suggest that cannabis use may positively bias evaluations of creativity but have no impact on creativity. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
... Additionally, personality has shown promise as a mode to understanding problematic substance use (Woicik et al., 2009); however, to date, problematic cannabis use has not been consistently linked to any specific personality trait (Ali et al., 2016;Comeau et al, 2001;Hecimovic et al., 2014). Finally, age of first use has been predicated as a factor in later substance dependence, particularly with cannabis (Hall, 2015, Rioux et al., 2018. ...
Poster
Full-text available
Introduction: Since its legalization in 2018, cannabis use has substantially increased in Canada. This increased use is concerning, as one in every eleven cannabis users will go on to develop a cannabis use disorder. Further, problematic cannabis use is often related to the use of additional substances, particularly nicotine and alcohol, and there is evidence to suggest that the degree of harms associated with cannabis use increases when cannabis is used in conjunction with other substances. Additionally, personality is a known risk factor for problematic substance use, although to date problematic cannabis use has not been consistently linked to any specific personality trait. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between substance use, personality, and problematic cannabis use in a sample of cannabis using polysubstance users. Method: A sample of 521 polysubstance users (past 30-day users of cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine) completed an online survey measuring their substance use, dependence, and personality. Levels of substance specific dependence was measured using the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test – Revised, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and the Fagerström Tests for Cigarette and E-cigarette Dependence, while personality was measured using the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS). Results: Regression analyses showed that the top predictors for problematic cannabis use levels were levels of alcohol dependence, cigarette/e-cigarette dependence, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. Further analyses compared those who met the criteria for problematic cannabis use to those who did not; problematic cannabis users had significantly higher levels of alcohol and nicotine dependence, as well as higher levels of impulsivity and sensation seeking (all p’s <.001). Discussion: This study identified strong relationships of problematic cannabis use with problematic alcohol and cigarette/e-cigarette use, and with sensation seeking and impulsivity. The findings have implications for screening, intervention, and policy. For example, the strong relations of problematic cannabis use with problematic alcohol use speak to the inadvisability of the co-location of cannabis and alcohol sales, as is the case in several jurisdictions
... Vangsness et al. (2005) shows that impulsivity both directly impacts the frequency of cannabis use and indirectly via less negative cannabis use expectancies. Hecimovic et al. (2014) explain that "impulsive individuals are marked by their inability to weigh immediate reward against long term consequences […] and might use cannabis […] as a short term solution to problems," which might induce subsequent CUD. ...
Article
This study described cannabis use behavior among college students in Berlin, in particular, differences in use motives between subjects with frequent use and those with signs of cannabis use disorder (CUD). Cross-sectional data were collected via an online survey among Berlin college students ( N=9350; 50.7% women; Mage=24.4). Motivation scales were computed based on an exploratory factor analysis. Effects of these motive scales were compared using multivariate regression models, where the dependent variable was use intensity (ordinal), frequent use (twice or more per week, binary) or a positive substance use disorder screening test (binary). Cannabis use is known to be particularly prevalent among Berlin college students, which was confirmed by our data. The most frequent use motive was enhancement, which, however, was not associated with frequent use or CUD. The motives predicting frequent use (sociability) are different from motives predicting CUD (coping), even when controlling for a wide array of covariates.
... This strive for pleasure, usually referred to as an enhancement motive, is further into the interview rephrased into a coping motive where cannabis is used to curb feelings of stress and worry (see e.g. Hecimovic et al., 2014). While this account exemplifies the blurring of recreational and medical motives (Pedersen & Sandberg, 2013), it also suggests how cannabis effects are made up as tools for the individual to use in navigating a complex social world (Ekendahl, Månsson & Karlsson, 2020b). ...
Article
Full-text available
Research shows that cannabis is understood differently across cannabis cultures. In Sweden, young cannabis users are seen as vulnerable, problem-burdened and increasingly embracing drug-liberal attitudes. Despite low prevalence rates, youth cannabis use is considered a high-profile problem that warrants prohibition. Previous studies show that staff in Swedish addiction treatment legitimize resolute interventions by making up young users as irrational. The treated young people claimed instead that starting to use cannabis and quitting were informed decisions. In this article, we revisit interviews with 18 young clients in Swedish addiction treatment, and examine the data with a focus on comparisons (e.g. A is unlike B). We perceive comparison as a tool in the formation of narrative identity, rather than a logical outcome of accounts. We ask what is compared with what in young people’s accounts of cannabis use, and what these comparisons reveal about their thoughts on well-being, the self and the setting. The interviewees used comparisons that drew on cultural, institutional and organizational narratives when they discussed cannabis. Taken together, their accounts instantiated ideas about powerful drug effects, the primacy of the neoliberal subject and the potential of cannabis addiction. We discuss whether these accounts mirror rather than challenge drug prohibition.
... Anxiety sensitivity is defined as the fear of symptoms of physical arousal and is related to selfmedication of anxious symptoms through the use of alcohol and/or drugs (Comeau et al., 2001;Conrod, Pihl, & Vassileva, 1998;Woicik et al., 2009). Negative reinforcement related to negative thinking is characterized by substance use to relief negative affect (Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014;Woicik et al., 2009). The personality dimensions, namely, impulsivity and sensation seeking are associated with a vulnerability to positive reinforcement and positively rewarding effects of substances (Woicik et al., 2009). ...
Chapter
Interventions for substance use-related problems are limited for individuals with intellectual disability (ID). This is problematic, as the lack of interventions can lead to substance use initiation, progression of substance use into substance use disorder, poorer outcomes of treatment, and stigmatization of individuals with dual diagnosis. Additionally, staff who work with individuals with ID and addiction treatment lack resources to effectively help substance use in individuals with ID. Nevertheless, there has been an increase in studies assessing the feasibility and outcomes of interventions for substance use and abuse in individuals with ID. This chapter reviews psychological and pharmacological interventions for individuals with dual diagnosis of substance abuse and ID.
... Individuals who score high on sensation seeking characteristically desire intense and novel stimulating experiences (Zuckerman, 1994). Past research has shown that individuals high on sensation seeking are often heavier users of cannabis, particularly when associated with cannabis using peers (Barnum & Armstrong, 2019), and tend to be motived to use cannabis to expand their awareness or be more creative (expansion motives) (Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014). Individuals who score high on sensation seeking may seek out the unique highs elicited by alternate modes of cannabis administration, enhancing the novelty of their cannabis use experiences. ...
Article
Objectives With the recent legalization of cannabis there are more cannabis products available to consumers today than ever before. However, little is known about the relation of distinct modes of use to cannabis-related risks. The current study estimated the prevalence of different modes of use among a sample of university students, and quantified the magnitude of association between modes of use (type and number) and cannabis-related risks (i.e., dependence, negative consequences, simultaneous use with alcohol). Methods: The sample included 368 undergraduate students (71% female) who reported using cannabis in the last 6 months. Results: Joints were the most commonly reported primary mode (39%), followed by bongs/water pipes (33%), hand pipes (14%), edibles (7%) and vaporizers (5%). The majority of participants were multi-mode users (88%). On average, participants reported using 2.72 (sd = 1.04) modes of cannabis regularly. Bong users had more cannabis related harms (B = 1.85, p < .001), dependence symptoms (B = 1.87, p < .001) and were twice as likely to use alcohol and cannabis simultaneously (OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.17 – 3.74) compared to joint users. However, these associations were attenuated after adjusting for sex, age and cannabis frequency. Multi-modal users reported significantly more cannabis-related harms and misuse symptoms compared to single mode users. Conclusion: Few differences in cannabis risks were found across modes of use. Frequency of use remains the most significant predictor of cannabis related risks. However, findings suggest that multimodal may be indicative of high risk cannabis use patterns and is an important target for screening and intervention.
... The joint influence of impulsivity and consumption motives has also been reported to predict cannabis (e.g., Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014) or alcohol (e.g., Jones, Chryssanthakis, & Groom, 2014) use among young people. ...
Article
Full-text available
Substance use in youth is a central public health concern, related to deleterious consequences at psychological, social, and cognitive/cerebral levels. Previous research has identified impulsivity and consumption motives as key factors in the emergence of excessive substance use among college students. However, most studies have focused on a specific substance and have considered this population as a unitary group, ignoring the potential heterogeneity in psychological profiles. We used a cluster analytic approach to explore the heterogeneity in a large sample (N=2,741) of substance users (i.e., tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin) on impulsivity and consumption motives. We identified four clusters: The first two clusters, associated with good self-esteem, low anxiety, and moderate substance use, were respectively characterized by low impulsivity and consumption motives (Cluster 1) and by high social and enhancement motives without marked impulsivity (Cluster 2). The two other clusters were conversely related to low self-esteem and high anxiety, and characterized by high consumption motives (particularly conformity) together with elevated urgency (Cluster 3) and by globally increased impulsivity and consumption motives (Cluster 4). These two clusters are also associated with higher substance use. These results highlight the existence of distinct psychological profiles of substance users and underline the need to develop specialized prevention and intervention programs (e.g., focusing on the specific impulsivity facets or consumption motives presented by each subgroup). Beyond these variables, future studies should also extend the exploration of these distinct profiles of substance users by targeting other psychological variables (e.g., self-esteem).
... 10 These 4 personality domains are the basis of the Substance Use Risk Profiles Scale (SURPS), which is a selfadministered questionnaire that has been widely used in the addictions literature. 11,12 The SURPS displays high reliability and validity in predicting vulnerability to substance misuse. 13 Substance misuse risk factors have not been studied in persons with IBD using cannabis. ...
Article
Background It is unknown whether cannabis users self-medicating their inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms are more likely to have comorbid mental health or personality risk factors associated with an increased potential for substance misuse compared with recreational cannabis users. Methods We surveyed individuals with IBD about their cannabis use, their mental health symptoms, and personality risk factors associated with substance misuse. We compared risk factors for substance misuse between individuals using cannabis to manage IBD symptoms and those using cannabis recreationally. Results Of 201 persons with IBD who completed the questionnaire, 108 reported lifetime cannabis use. Of those, a larger proportion of Crohn’s disease patients used cannabis to manage IBD symptoms (53% [34/64] vs 28% [12/43]; P = 0.010). Individuals self-medicating with cannabis were more likely to use cannabis for coping reasons (P = 0.016) and demonstrated higher levels of impulsivity (P = 0.004) and depressive symptoms (P = 0.012) when compared with individuals using cannabis recreationally. Logistic regression revealed that cannabis was 4.1 times (P = 0.05) and 3.7 times (P = 0.05) more likely to be used for IBD symptoms by smokers and individuals with moderate–severe depressive symptoms, respectively. Individuals high in impulsivity were 4.1 times more likely to use cannabis for their IBD symptoms than those low in impulsivity (P = 0.005). Conclusions Persons with IBD self-medicating with cannabis have characteristics associated with increased vulnerability to substance misuse when compared with those using cannabis recreationally. Screening for mental health comorbidities and vulnerability to substance misuse should be undertaken if cannabis is to be used to treat IBD symptoms.
... Anxiety sensitivity is defined as the fear of symptoms of physical arousal and is related to selfmedication of anxious symptoms through the use of alcohol and/or drugs (Comeau et al., 2001;Conrod, Pihl, & Vassileva, 1998;Woicik et al., 2009). Negative reinforcement related to negative thinking is characterized by substance use to relief negative affect (Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014;Woicik et al., 2009). The personality dimensions, namely, impulsivity and sensation seeking are associated with a vulnerability to positive reinforcement and positively rewarding effects of substances (Woicik et al., 2009). ...
... Individuals high in SS are said to be more sensitive to the rewarding, positively-reinforcing properties of substances (Brunelle et al., 2004). SS has been associated with stimulant Low & Gendaszek, 2002), alcohol (Brunelle et al., 2004;Conrod, Pihl, Stewart, & Dongier, 2000;Schlauch et al., 2015;Woicik et al., 2009) and cannabis use (Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014;Mahu, Doucet, O'Leary-Barrett, & Conrod, 2015). IMP is linked with poor response inhibition, deficits in planning, rapid decision making, and enhanced emotional reactivity (Krank et al., 2011;Woicik et al., 2009) and is associated with a wide range of substance use problems, including stimulant misuse, drinking problems, and polysubstance use, as well as anti-social behaviour (Castellanos-Ryan & Conrod, 2012). ...
Article
Objective A mainstay treatment for opioid addiction in North America is methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) – a form of opiate agonist therapy (OAT). While efficacious for treating opioid addiction, MMT fails to address the concurrent polysubstance use that is common among opioid dependent clients. Moreover, psychosocial approaches for addressing polysubstance use during MMT are lacking. Our study's goals were to validate the use of the four-factor personality model of substance use vulnerability in MMT clients, and to demonstrate theoretically-relevant relationships of personality to concurrent substance use while receiving MMT. Method Respondents included 138 daily-witnessed MMT clients (65.9% male, 79.7% Caucasian), mean age (SD) 40.18 (11.56), recruited across four Canadian MMT clinics. Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis was used to establish the structural validity of the four-factor personality model of substance use vulnerability (operationalized with the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale [SURPS]) in MMT clients. SURPS personality scores were then used as predictors for specific forms of recent (past 30-day) substance use. Results Using a latent hierarchal model, hopelessness was associated with recent opioid use; anxiety sensitivity with recent tranquilizer use; and sensation seeking with recent alcohol, cannabis, and stimulant use. Conclusion Personality is associated with substance use patterns and may be an appropriate target for intervention for those undergoing MMT to reduce opioid use, and potentially dangerous concurrent use of other drugs, while receiving methadone.
... Given the lack of extant literature in this area, we did not generate specific a priori hypotheses regarding the number and nature of classes. To ensure we obtained adequate variability in responses, and consistent with prior work we focused on participants reporting any lifetime marijuana use (e.g., Buckner, Bonn-Miller, Zvolensky, & Schmidt, 2007;Simons & Carey, 2002;Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2014). ...
Article
Background: Given that marijuana use is often associated with detrimental physical and mental health problems, research examining motives for its use is critical for effective remedial and preventive treatment. To date, the majority of research on marijuana use motives has used variable-centered analyses, which overlooks potentially meaningful heterogeneous response patterns and the associations of those patterns with other risk/protective factors. Methods: To address this gap, in the current study, we conducted a person-centered analysis (latent profile analysis) to identify subgroups of participants based on endorsed marijuana use motives, and examined the construct validity of the optimal class solution (covariates included sociodemographic (e.g., age), psychiatric (e.g., depression), and marijuana-use indices (e.g., use-frequency, use-related problems). Participants were 898 college students (Mage = 20.93, SDage = 3.10; 68.9% female) who completed an anonymous online survey examining substance use and psychological well-being, were 18 years or older, and endorsed lifetime marijuana use. Data were collected November 2016 through February 2018. Results: Results identified four unique classes of coping, conformity, social, and enhancement marijuana use motives: (a) “Low Motives” (37.6%), (b) “High Conformity” (4.9%), (c) “Low Conformity” (45.8%), and (d) “High Motives” (11.7%). In terms of covariates, higher motive classes tended to report more frequent and problematic use. The two classes uniquely characterized by conformity motives only differed on past-month marijuana use frequency. Conclusions/Importance: The current findings provide evidence that specific classes of motives were not only associated with marijuana use frequency and problems but other risk and protective factors, such as anxiety sensitivity and social support.
... Although cannabis effect expectancies and cannabis use motives overlap to some extent and are clearly related, it is important to make a distinction between them. Expectancies do not necessarily lead to cannabis use (i.e., nonusers also have cannabis effect expectancies), whereas subjective motives are studied a posteriori in cannabis users (Bonn-Miller & Zvolensky, 2009;Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2013;Schmits, Maurage, Thirion, & Quertemont, 2015). ...
Article
Full-text available
This study investigated the mediating/moderating role of cannabis use expectancies in/on the relationship between social anxiety (SA) and cannabis use in adolescence. Linear/logistic regressions and mediation/moderation analyses were performed in a sample of 1,343 Belgian teenagers (15 to 16 years old). SA was negatively related to lifetime cannabis use. Relaxation, social facilitation, and high-order positive expectancies moderated the relation between SA and lifetime cannabis use, whereas negative behavioral and high-order negative expectancies mediated the link. The potential protective nature of SA on lifetime cannabis use and the diverging involvement of negative and positive expectancies are discussed. Results support the importance of expectancies in prevention.
... Assieme ai fattori motivazionali precedentemente trattati, anche la teoria dell'automedicazione ha riscosso un certo interesse in ambito scientifico internazionale (Hecimovic et al., 2014). Secondo tale teoria, l'uso di marijuana può essere interpretato come una strategia di coping utilizzata al fine di ridurre o evitare emozioni negative e dolorose. ...
Book
L'obiettivo di questo volume è quello di aprire una panoramica sugli stili di vita dei giovani adulti, popolazione nella quale consumi problematici e dipendenze da sostanze (sostanze illegali, alcol, tabacco), dipendenze da comportamenti (gioco d'azzardo, shopping compulsivo, internet addiction), alimentazione e attività fisica si intrecciano e necessitano di essere trattati come elementi integrati nel vivere quotidiano. Il focus è rappresentato dai risultati che emergono da una ricerca multicentrica, condotta su un campione di giovani adulti di Bologna e Treviso e articolata su quattro aree tematiche (sostanze psicoattive, dipendenze senza sostanze, alimentazione e stili di vita), integrati dai contributi di studiosi ed operatori del settore. Nel suo insieme, il volume vuole fornire elementi innovativi ed indicazioni utili a chi si occupa di prevenzione, per dar vita a progetti che non siano più incentrati su singole problematiche, ma capaci di orientarsi sugli stili di vita complessivamente intesi della popolazione cui sono rivolti.
... Furthermore, individual, contextual, and interpersonal risk and protective factors can be understood as different aspects of the general model of drug, set, and setting (Zinberg, 1984). The set includes aspects related to the substance user, such as personality factors or risk perceptions (Ersche et al., 2013;Hecimovic, Barrett, Darredeau, & Stewart, 2013;Persoskie, 2013). The aspect of the setting refers to physical and social contexts of drug consumption (Ali, Amialchuk, & Dwyer, 2011;Turbin et al., 2006;Vakalahi, 2001). ...
Article
Background: The Heidelberger Drogenbogen (HDB) is a German language assessment of substance-specific knowledge and consumption patterns of the illicit psychoactive substances cannabis, MDMA (ecstasy), amphetamines, cocaine, and hallucinogens. The behavior modules for each of these five drugs/drug groups allow for a diagnostic evaluation of the extent of harmful consumption behavior. Each of the five modules represents a single standardized test. Objectives: This paper outlines several statistical parameters, Cronbach's alpha, retest reliabilities, as well as numerous validity and cut-off-criteria of the behavioral modules. Methods: Participants (N = 4,794) were recruited at schools, universities, in subcultural contexts, and in institutions of substance abuse treatment. Results: Internal consistencies range from = .68 to .79 while test-retest reliabilities between .87 and .94 were found. The behavior modules of the HDB can discriminate between populations with and without clinical levels of substance use. Furthermore, this measure has incremental validity and higher diagnostic accuracy over competing measures. Conclusions: The behavior modules of the HDB are reliable and valid measures of substance use and misuse.
... Personality traits are important in understanding motives for cannabis use. For example, greater levels of sensationseeking are associated with greater expansion motives for use (Hecimovic et al. 2014), and lower novelty-seeking is associated with greater coping motives for use (Adams et al. 2003). Neuroticism may be the personality trait most consistently related to coping-oriented cannabis use, although the majority of past investigations have evaluated neuroticism as a covariate rather than a primary variable of interest. ...
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Personality factors, such as neuroticism, are important for understanding motives for cannabis use; however, few studies have examined the role of neuroticism in the context of other personality factors, or possible mechanisms accounting for an association between neuroticism and motives for use. The present study examined concurrent associations between personality traits (i.e., conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) and cannabis use motives, and the role of anxiety sensitivity (AS) in the association between neuroticism and coping cannabis use motives. Seventy young adults endorsing past-month cannabis use (58.6 % female, M age = 20.91) completed self-report measures. Linear regressions were conducted to examine the concurrent associations between personality factors and cannabis use motives. Higher levels of neuroticism, but no other personality traits, were significantly associated with greater coping (β = 45, p < .01) and expansion (β = 0.29, p = <.05) motives. Bootstrap analysis (10,000 re-samples) revealed that a significant portion of the relationship between neuroticism and coping motives was explained by AS (point estimate = 0.029, PB 95 % CI: 0.0089 to 0.0615). Greater neuroticism may result in heightened sensitivity to arousal, which may then increase motivation to use cannabis to alleviate such arousal.
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Background: Cannabis is one of the most popular drugs of the 21st century, especially among adolescents and young adults. Evidence of a variety of lasting neuropsychological deficits as a result of chronic cannabis use has increased. Furthermore, regular cannabis use is found to be a predictor of mental health problems, less motivation in school, and school dropout. Aim: Our goal is to propose a theoretical model of adolescent cannabis use disorder (CUD) based on Zinberg’s drug, set, and setting model and explicated by a review of the literature on adolescent cannabis use to improve the prevention and treatment of CUD for adolescents. Methods: PubMed and Web of Science were searched for relevant publications as part of a hypothesis-based and model-generating review. Results: Individual (set) and environmental (setting) risk factors play important roles in the development of CUD in adolescents. School performance, motivation, and attendance can be negatively influenced by persistent cannabis use patterns and adolescent brain development can consequently be impaired. Thus, cannabis use can be understood as both being the cause of poor school performance but also the consequence of poor school performance. To prevent and reduce adolescent CUD the drug, set, and setting must all be considered. It is important to notice that the multiple feedback loops (indicated in our dynamic interaction model) are not mutually exclusive, but offer important intervention focus points for social workers, addiction professionals, parents, and other care takers. Conclusion: We argue that the three dimensions of drug, set, and setting contribute significantly to the eventual manifestation of CUD. Based on our dynamic interaction model, recommendations are made for possible preventive and therapeutic interventions for the treatment of adolescents and young adults with CUD.
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Background: Cannabis is associated with a range of therapeutic and non-therapeutic, positive and negative effects. While some benefits and harms may be specific to individual cannabinoid constituents (THC, CBD), individual expectancies may also play a role. Objectives: Evaluate the extent to which individuals hold expectancies about the effects of CBD, THC, and THC & CBD combined, and whether this differs with prior cannabis experience. Methods: Canadian adults (N = 345; n = 58 no prior cannabis use, n = 287 prior cannabis use) completed a Qualtrics survey. Participants provided information regarding their expectancies about the effects of cannabinoids (THC, CBD, THC & CBD combined) via a 15-item questionnaire, which included various therapeutic (e.g., helps with pain) and non-therapeutic positive (e.g., enhances positive feelings) and negative (e.g., risk for addiction) effects. They recorded their perceptions about the effects of each cannabinoid on a scale (0=“definitely not true”, 10=“definitely true”). Data was analyzed using linear mixed models. Results: For most therapeutic effects, CBD-containing products (CBD, THC & CBD) were rated higher than THC. For most positive and negative non-therapeutic effects, THC-containing products (THC, THC & CBD) were rated higher than CBD. Those with prior cannabis use (vs no prior use) rated all cannabinoids higher regarding their association with many therapeutic and positive effects, while endorsing weaker expectancies about their role in some negative effects. Conclusions: Adults endorsed stronger expectancies that CBD-containing products are responsible for producing a rage of therapeutic effects. Those with prior cannabis use experience tended to emphasize the benefits and minimize potential harmful effects of cannabinoids.
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Adolescents and young adults with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning (MID-BIF) are a high-risk group for developing substance use disorders. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie substance use in this particular population. We tested the mediating role of substance use motives in the relationship between personality dimensions and substance use-related outcomes. Self-reported data on substance use risk personality dimensions (i.e., sensation seeking, impulsivity, anxiety sensitivity, and negative thinking), substance use motives (i.e., social, enhancement, coping, and conformity motives), and substance use were obtained from 163 individuals with MID-BIF (mean age 18.9 years). Results show that coping motives played a main role in the associations between personality dimensions and substance use in adolescents and young adults with MID-BIF, with significant relationships between impulsivity and negative thinking and severity of alcohol use or drug use via coping motives. Moreover, findings indicated a relatively high risk for several substance use motives and associated substance use (disorder) in individuals high on impulsivity. Results show significant relationships between impulsivity and severity of alcohol use or drug use via social, enhancement, and coping motives. No mediating associations were found for conformity motives, nor did we find any mediation associations in individuals with high levels of anxiety sensitivity. These insights provide the possibility of tailoring interventions to specific motives that underlie substance use in different types of users with MID-BIF based on personality dimensions.
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Psychiatry Trainees’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Training in Addiction Psychiatry—A European Survey
Chapter
Ein gesundes Aufwachsen in Kindheit und Jugend stellt wichtige Weichen für das weitere Leben. Gerade die Chancen auf ein gesundes Heranwachsen nehmen mit steigendem Alter ab und sind bereits in jungen Jahren zwischen sozialen Statusgruppen sowie zwischen Jungen und Mädchen ungleich verteilt. Der Beitrag berichtet aktuelle Ergebnisse zur Gesundheit (u. a. selbstberichtete Gesundheit, psychosomatische Beschwerdelast, psychische Auffälligkeiten) und zum Gesundheitsverhalten (u. a. Ernährungs- und Bewegungsverhalten, legaler und illegaler Suchtmittelkonsum) in der Lebensphase Kindheit und Jugend aus repräsentativen Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurveys in Deutschland. Schließlich stellt der Beitrag Maßnahmen der Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung im Kindes- und Jugendalter dar, die zur Verbesserung der Gesundheit und des Gesundheitsverhaltes beitragen können. Des Weiteren nimmt in Deutschland die gesundheitliche Ungleichheit unter Kindern bedenklich zu. Gesundheitliche Chancen auf ein gesundes und unbelastetes Leben sind zwischen Migranten und Nichtmigranten, zwischen Statusgruppen und zwischen Jungen und Mädchen ungleich verteilt.
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Impulse control deficits are often found to co-occur with substance use disorders (SUDs). On the one hand, it is well known that chronic intake of drugs of abuse remodels the brain with significant consequences for a range of cognitive behaviors. On the other hand, individual variation in impulse control may contribute to differences in susceptibility to SUDs. Both of these relationships have been described, thus leading to a “chicken or the egg” debate which remains to be fully resolved. Does impulsivity precede drug use or does it manifest as a function of problematic drug usage? The link between impulsivity and SUDs has been most strongly established for cocaine and alcohol use disorders using both preclinical models and clinical data. Much less is known about the potential link between impulsivity and cannabis use disorder (CUD) or the directionality of this relationship. The initiation of cannabis use occurs most often during adolescence prior to the brain's maturation, which is recognized as a critical period of development. The long-term effects of chronic cannabis use on the brain and behavior have started to be explored. In this review we will summarize these observations, especially as they pertain to the relationship between impulsivity and CUD, from both a psychological and biological perspective. We will discuss impulsivity as a multi-dimensional construct and attempt to reconcile the results obtained across modalities. Finally, we will discuss possible avenues for future research with emerging longitudinal data.
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In diesem Band werden die Ergebnisse der HBSC-Gesundheitsstudie 2018 in Brandenburg vorgestellt. Bei der HBSC-Studie (»Health Behaviour in School-aged Children«) handelt es sich um ein internationales kooperatives Forschungsvorhaben, das von der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) seit 36 Jahren unterstützt wird. Grundlage des Ergebnisberichts sind repräsentative Daten von über 3.000 Schülerinnen und Schülern der Jahrgangsstufen 5, 7 und 9 an allen Schulformen des Landes Brandenburg. Die Jugendlichen haben bei dieser Befragung Auskunft über ihre Gesundheit, ihr Gesundheitsverhalten und ihre Lebensumstände gegeben. Zusätzlich zu den Ausprägungen der Gesundheitsindikatoren werden Unterschiede in Abhängigkeit von Geschlecht, Altersgruppe sowie Schulform berichtet, Vergleiche mit den bundesweiten HBSC-Daten hergestellt und Verbindungen zu sozialen Determinanten der Gesundheit aus den Bereichen Familie, Schule und Gleichaltrigengruppe analysiert. Die aktuellen Ergebnisse der HBSC-Studie Brandenburg können von Entscheidungsträgern aus den Bereichen Gesundheit, Bildung und Soziales auf verschiedenen Ebenen genutzt werden, um die Gesundheit junger Menschen in Brandenburg zu schützen und zu fördern.
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Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a public health concern for women age 18-25. While much is known about the IPV risk and experiences of heterosexual women, little is known about the IPV risk and experiences of their LGBTQ + counterparts and any contributions of multiple marginalization in such risk. This study examines the emotional, physical, and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) vulnerability of emerging adult college women with and without multiple minority statuses (e.g., women with both racial/ethnic and sexual minority identities). Participants: Participants were 9,435 women ages 18-25 from the National College Health Assessment (NCHA). Results: Findings demonstrate that being a sexual minority increases risk vulnerability for all forms of IPV, regardless of race. Conclusions: The risk for college women with multiple marginalized identities is exponentially greater than either their White or heterosexual counterparts. Implications for colleges/universities, university counseling centers and professionals, and future research directions are discussed.
Article
Background: Based on the prevalence and health implications of tobacco and cannabis use, aiming to reduce their use, especially among youth, is a sound objective at both the individual and public health level. A proper understanding of the relationships between tobacco and cannabis use may help to achieve this goal. Objectives: To review the relationships between tobacco and cannabis use. Methods: A selective review of the literature. Results: We present an overview of the motivations for tobacco and cannabis use, and their perceived harmfulness. The article then reviews the gateway theory, reverse gateway theory, route of administration theory, and common liability theory. We describe the link between co-use and dependence symptoms, and the substitution phenomenon between tobacco and cannabis use. Three forms of simultaneous use-mulling, blunt smoking, and chasing-and their impacts are explained. We summarize the impact of tobacco use on cannabis (and vice versa) treatment outcomes, and, finally, review new treatments that simultaneously target tobacco and cannabis dependence. Most of the literature reviewed here relates to substance use among adolescents and young adults. Conclusions: The use of tobacco and cannabis-two of the most widely used substances around the world-are strongly intertwined in several respects. Both health professionals and researchers should have well-informed views on this issue to better evaluate, understand, inform, and provide care to their patients.
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Emerging adults (18-25 year olds) endorse the highest rates of prescription drug misuse. Attending college or university may confer additional risk. Previous research suggests that personality is an important predictor of many addictive behaviours. Four traits have been consistently implicated: anxiety sensitivity, hopelessness, sensation seeking, and impulsivity. Published studies on personality as a predictor of prescription drug abuse are limited, however, by a primary focus on overall prescription drug use, inconsistent operationalisation of misuse, and failure to control for alcohol use. Sample sizes have been small and non-specific. We sought to better understand how personality predicted the overall use, the medically-sanctioned use, and the misuse of prescription sedatives/tranquilizers, opioids, and stimulants. A large (N = 1755) sample of first year Canadian undergraduate students (mean age = 18.6 years; 68.9% female) was used. We predicted that: anxiety sensitivity would be related to sedatives/tranquilizers, hopelessness to opioids, sensation seeking to stimulants, and impulsivity to all three. Save for the impulsivity to opioid use path, predictions were fully supported in our "any use" model. For medically-sanctioned use: anxiety sensitivity predicted sedative/tranquilizers, hopelessness predicted opioids, and impulsivity predicted stimulants. For misuse: anxiety sensitivity (marginally) predicted sedatives/tranquilizers, sensation seeking predicted stimulants, and impulsivity predicted all three. Our models support using personality-matched interventions. Specifically, results suggest targeting anxiety sensitivity for sedative/tranquilizer misuse, sensation seeking for stimulant misuse, and impulsivity for unconstrained prescription drug misuse. Interventions with early coping skills that pertain to all four traits might be useful for preventing prescription drug uptake and later misuse.
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Anxiety sensitivity (AS)- fear of anxiety symptoms and their potential negative consequences-has been implicated in the development of substance use problems and motivation to use substances for coping with distress, though the AS components (physical, cognitive, and social concerns) have not been studied extensively in relation to alcohol- and cannabis-related variables. In a cross-sectional design, self-report measures of AS and alcohol and cannabis use, motives, and problems were administered to 364 treatment-seeking cigarette smokers with a history of alcohol and cannabis use. In both adjusted and unadjusted analyses, linear regression models indicated that AS cognitive concerns are related to cannabis-use conformity motives, alcohol-use coping motives, and alcohol problems; AS physical and cognitive concerns are related to greater cannabis problems specifically in males; and AS social concerns are associated with greater social, coping, enhancement, and conformity drinking motives. AS cognitive and physical concerns were also related to greater alcohol and cannabis problems, respectively, in subsamples limited to 214 current alcohol users and 170 current cannabis users. Together with prior work, current findings suggest that it may be beneficial to focus more on addressing AS cognitive concerns in individuals with tobacco-alcohol problem comorbidity, whereas it may be beneficial to focus on addressing both AS physical and cognitive concerns in males with tobacco-cannabis problem comorbidity. In addition, cigarette smokers high in AS social concerns may benefit from relaxation training to lessen their social anxiety as well as behavioral activation to enhance their positive affect.
Conference Paper
Background: Drinking among college-aged individuals can be problematic. The motivational model of use, which examines various cognitive factors, personal characteristics, and environmental factors, can provide a greater understanding of what contributes toward the decision to drink in these young adults. Objectives: The current study evaluates proposed paths from risk factors for alcohol use, motives for drinking, and subsequent outcomes of alcohol use, drawing from seminal research on the motivational model and drinking motives. Methods: This model was tested in a sample of 303 undergraduate drinkers (77.9% female, mean age = 19.8 years), and evaluated the potential impact of gender and pattern of use. Results: Results indicate that expectancies, maladaptive coping, and negative affect personality styles are associated with coping motives for drinking, and that coping motives are significantly related to problems associated with use. These results are similar for males and females, and among heavy and lighter drinkers. Conclusion: Findings support the role of the coping motive in problematic outcomes associated with drinking and suggest that expectancies, negative affect personality styles, maladaptive coping, and drinking motives are potential targets of prevention and intervention.
Article
Despite extensive evidence linking childhood exposure to adverse parenting and subsequent substance use, the extant research literature is more limited regarding individual difference factors that may moderate this association. This study examines the moderating role of anxiety sensitivity (AS) in the association between childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors and substance use in a sample of late adolescents with clinical anxiety. One hundred fifty-one late adolescents with clinical levels of anxiety (18.61 years old; SD = 0.91) completed measures assessing childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors, AS, alcohol/tobacco and illicit substance use frequency, negative affect, and history of negative life events. A significant moderating effect of AS in the association between childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors and both average and illicit drug use was found—even after controlling for participants’ age and history of negative life events. Specifically, for individuals with high AS, as childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors increased so too did average and illicit substance use frequency; however, for individuals with low AS, childhood exposure to parental threatening behaviors was not significantly associated with either substance use frequency. Findings underscore the profound impact that early negative experiences have on substance use outcomes, particularly for individuals with high AS who have difficulty coping with and regulating physiological arousal. Limitations and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
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This study adapted and extended M. L. Cooper's (1994) Drinking Motives Measure to examine marijuana motives among 299 college students. An exploratory factor analysis supported the hypothesized 5-factor marijuana motives model, resulting in enhancement, conformity, expansion, coping, and social motives. Analyses supported the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the 5 marijuana motives. Marijuana motives were significant predictors of marijuana use and added to the prediction of use-related problems above and beyond the contribution of lifetime use. Motives and gender interacted in predicting use and use-related problems. Parallel regression analyses revealed that marijuana and alcohol motives predicted comparable amounts of variance in use and use-related problems. However, different patterns of relations emerged across drugs, supporting the discriminant validity of the marijuana and alcohol motives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Popular statistical software packages do not have the proper procedures for determining the number of components in factor and principal components analyses. Parallel analysis and Velicer’s minimum average partial (MAP) test are validated procedures, recommended widely by statisticians. However, many researchers continue to use alternative, simpler, but flawed procedures, such as the eigenvaluesgreater-than-one rule. Use of the proper procedures might be increased if these procedures could be conducted within familiar software environments. This paper describes brief and efficient programs for using SPSS and SAS to conduct parallel analyses and the MAP test.
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A new conception of sensation seeking is presented, along with a new scale [the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking (AISS)]. The new conception emphasizes novelty and intensity as the two components of sensation seeking. Two studies were conducted to validate the new scale. In the first study, the AISS was found to be more strongly related to risk behavior than Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) among 116 adolescents aged 16–18 years, although the new scale contains no items related to risk behavior (in contrast to the SSS). In the second study, involving 139 adolescents, similar relations were found between the AISS and risk behavior, and the new scale was also found to be significantly correlated with the Aggression subscale of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI). In addition, adults (N = 38) were found to be lower in sensation seeking than adolescents. In both studies, males were higher in sensation seeking than females.
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This study explored the validity of classifying a community-recruited sample of substance-abusing women (N = 293) according to 4 personality risk factors for substance abuse (anxiety sensitivity, introversion-hopelessness, sensation seeking, and impulsivity). Cluster analyses reliably identified 5 subtypes of women who demonstrated differential lifetime risk for various addictive and nonaddictive disorders. An anxiety-sensitive subtype demonstrated greater lifetime risk for anxiolytic dependence, somatization disorder, and simple phobia, whereas an introverted-hopeless subtype evidenced a greater lifetime risk for opioid dependence, social phobia, and panic and depressive disorders. Sensation seeking was associated with exclusive alcohol dependence, and impulsivity was associated with higher rates of antisocial personality disorder and cocaine and alcohol dependence. Finally, a low personality risk subtype demonstrated lower lifetime rates of substance dependence and psychopathology.
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The personality systems of Cloninger (as measured by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire [TPQ]) and Eysenck (as measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire [EPQ]) both have been linked to substance use and abuse. The current study examined the predictive utility of both systems for substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses, both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Participants (N = 489 at baseline) completed the EPQ and TPQ and were assessed via structured diagnostic interview at baseline and 6 years later (N = 457 at follow-up). Both the EPQ and TPQ scales demonstrated bivariate cross-sectional and prospective associations with SUDs. Within each system, those dimensions marking a broad impulsive sensation-seeking or behavioral disinhibition trait were the best predictors prospectively, although the 2 systems were differentially sensitive to specific diagnoses. These relations remained significant even with autoregressivity, other concurrent SUD diagnoses, and multiple personality dimensions statistically controlled.
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Sensation seeking, anxiety sensitivity, and hopelessness are personality risk factors for alcohol use disorders, each associated with specific risky drinking motives in adolescents. We developed a set of interventions and manuals that were designed to intervene at the level of personality risk and associated maladaptive coping strategies, including alcohol misuse. Manuals contained psychoeducational information on the target personality risk factor and how it is associated with maladaptive coping, as well as exercises targeting maladaptive cognitions and behaviors specific to each personality type. We tested the efficacy of these novel interventions on reducing drinking behavior by randomly assigning 297 Canadian high school students (56% girls, mean age 16, mean grade 11) to personality-targeted interventions (group format; 2 sessions) or to a no-treatment control group. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated beneficial effects of the intervention and Intervention x Personality interactions on drinking rates, drinking quantity, binge drinking, and problem drinking symptoms at 4-month follow-up.
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The Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) is based on a model of personality risk for substance abuse in which four personality dimensions (hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity, and sensation seeking) are hypothesized to differentially relate to specific patterns of substance use. The current series of studies is a preliminary exploration of the psychometric properties of the SURPS in two populations (undergraduate and high school students). In study 1, an analysis of the internal structure of two versions of the SURPS shows that the abbreviated version best reflects the 4-factor structure. Concurrent, discriminant, and incremental validity of the SURPS is supported by convergent/divergent relationships between the SURPS subscales and other theoretically relevant personality and drug use criterion measures. In Study 2, the factorial structure of the SURPS is confirmed and evidence is provided for its test–retest reliability and validity with respect to measuring personality vulnerability to reinforcement-specific substance use patterns. In Study 3, the SURPS was administered in a more youthful population to test its sensitivity in identifying younger problematic drinkers. The results from the current series of studies demonstrate support for the reliability and construct validity of the SURPS, and suggest that four personality dimensions may be linked to substance-related behavior through different reinforcement processes. This brief assessment tool may have important implications for clinicians and future research.
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Guttman's classic lower bound for the number of common factors is extended to the completely general case where communalities may lie in the closed interval from zero to one.
Article
Introduction and aims: Simultaneous polysubstance use (SPU) is a common phenomenon, yet little is known about its role in substance use initiation. Design and methods: In the present study, 226 cannabis users completed structured interviews about their substance use history. For each substance ever used, participants provided details of their age of first use, their use in the preceding 30 days and whether they co-administered any other licit or illicit substances the first time they used the substance. Results: For most illicit substances [powder cocaine, crack, amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy), heroin, opium, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), ketamine, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), mescaline, phencyclidine (PCP), peyote and inhalants], results showed that a clear majority of participants (≥75%) reported SPU during their first-ever use of the substance. While SPU was less common on occasions of first use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, a high proportion of SPU on occasions of first use of 'harder' drugs could be accounted for by the co-use of alcohol, tobacco and/or cannabis. Discussion and conclusions: Such findings raise the possibility that specific alcohol, tobacco and/or cannabis use episodes might directly contribute to the initiation of new substance use. Understanding the role of SPU on occasions of first use might help better identify risk factors for substance use progression and improve intervention efforts.
Article
The present study investigated relations of anxiety sensitivity and other theoretically relevant personality factors to Copper's [Psychological Assessment 6 (1994) 117.] four categories of substance use motivations as applied to teens' use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana. A sample of 508 adolescents (238 females, 270 males; mean age=15.1 years) completed the Trait subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI), and the Intensity and Novelty subscales of the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking. Users of each substance also completed the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R) and/or author-compiled measures for assessing motives for cigarette smoking and marijuana use, respectively. Multiple regression analyses revealed that, in the case of each drug, the block of personality variables predicted “risky” substance use motives (i.e., coping, enhancement, and/or conformity motives) over-and-above demographics. High intensity seeking and low anxiety sensitivity predicted enhancement motives for alcohol use, high anxiety sensitivity predicted conformity motives for alcohol and marijuana use, and high trait anxiety predicted coping motives for alcohol and cigarette use. Moreover, anxiety sensitivity moderated the relation between trait anxiety and coping motives for alcohol and cigarette use: the trait anxiety–coping motives relation was stronger for high, than for low, anxiety sensitive individuals. Implications of the findings for improving substance abuse prevention efforts for youth will be discussed.
Article
A brief personality risk profile (23 items), the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale was tested for concurrent and predictive validity for substance use in 1139 adolescents (grades 8-10) from a mid-sized city in western Canada. The SURPS was administered in two waves of a longitudinal study separated by 12 months (2003-04). As expected, four subscales were supported by confirmatory factor and metric invariance analysis. In regression analysis, three subscales, hopelessness, impulsivity, and sensation seeking, were positively related to current and future use; while one, anxiety sensitivity, was negatively related. Findings suggest clinical utility for screening adolescents at risk for substance use.
Article
Two studies examined the relationships between anxiety sensitivity (AS), drug use, and reasons for drug use. In Study 1, 229 university students (57% F) completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and a drug use survey, assessing use of a variety of drugs within the last month, and coping reasons for drug use. Consistent with a modified tension-reduction hypothesis, ASI scores were positively correlated with the number of both anxiety- and depression-related reasons for drug use endorsed. In Study 2, 219 university students (74% F) completed the ASI and a drug use survey, assessing use of several drugs (e.g., alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, and marijuana/hashish) within the last year, and primary reasons (coping, affiliative, or enhancement) for the use of each drug. Marijuana/hashish users reported lower ASI scores than non-users supporting a negative relation between AS and the use of cannabis. ASI scores were positively correlated with the use of alcohol primarily to cope, and negatively correlated with the use of alcohol primarily to affiliate, among both gender groups, and ASI scores were positively correlated with the use of nicotine primarily to cope among the females. Implications of these findings for understanding risk for abuse of stress-response-dampening drugs by high AS individuals are discussed.
Article
Popular statistical software packages do not have the proper procedures for determining the number of components in factor and principal components analyses. Parallel analysis and Velicer's minimum average partial (MAP) test are validated procedures, recommended widely by statisticians. However, many researchers continue to use alternative, simpler, but flawed procedures, such as the eigenvalues-greater-than-one rule. Use of the proper procedures might be increased if these procedures could be conducted within familiar software environments. This paper describes brief and efficient programs for using SPSS and SAS to conduct parallel analyses and the MAP test.
Article
This study examined the utility of Cloninger's tridimensional personality theory (1986, 1987a) in predicting preferred substance of abuse and self-reported motivations for use among a sample of 200 adolescent substance abusers and 200 matched community control adolescents. Two primary hypotheses were tested: (1) Cloninger's type II profile is more strongly associated with stimulant use, and his type I profile is more strongly associated with substances having sedative-hypnotic effects; and 2) type II individuals will report motivations for use that focus primarily on obtaining positive rewards, whereas type I individuals will report motivations primarily concerning negative reinforcement or the avoidance of problems and negative life experiences. Our results did not show strong associations between Cloninger's Harm Avoidance and Reward Dependence dimensions and preferred substance or motivations for use. However, in partial support of the hypotheses examined here, we did find that individuals low in novelty seeking (NS) tended to prefer alcohol and marijuana, whereas those high in NS endorsed a wider range of preferred substances. High NS was associated with significantly greater stimulant use and motivations focused on obtaining positive rewards, whereas low NS was associated with greater sedative use and motivations related to avoiding negative emotions or negative life experiences.
Article
This study investigated the relations between anxious, depressive and borderline symptomatology, motivations for cannabis use, and cannabis use and dependence among 212 adolescents and young adults, 114 of whom were cannabis users. Motives for cannabis use were assessed using the Marijuana Motives Measure (Simons, J., Correia, C. J., Carey, K. B., & Borsari, B. E. (1998). Validating a Five-Factor Motives Measure: Relations with use, problems and alcohol motives. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45, 265-273.). In three sets of regression analyses, motives, cannabis use frequency, and cannabis dependence served as criterion variables. First, when motives were regressed on psychopathological measures, borderline symptomatology predicted expansion motives in both boys and girls. Second, when frequency of use was regressed on motives and psychopathological measures, enhancement motives were the only significant predictor among boys and expansion motives were the only significant predictor among girls. Finally, when cannabis dependence was regressed on motives and psychopathological measures, borderline symptomatology was the only significant predictor in boys and expansion motives were the only significant predictor in girls. This study suggests the importance of motives and borderline symptomatology in the understanding of cannabis use and dependence among adolescents and young adults.
Article
To investigate whether adolescent heavy drinkers exhibit biased cognitive processing of alcohol-related cues and impulsive decision making. A between-subjects design was employed. Classrooms in a single sixth-form college in Merseyside, UK. Ninety adolescent students (mean age 16.83 years), of whom 38% were identified as heavy drinkers and 36% were identified as light drinkers, based on a tertile split of their weekly alcohol consumption. Participants provided information about alcohol consumption before completing measures of alcohol craving, delay discounting and an "alcohol Stroop" in which they were required to name the colour in which alcohol-related and matched control words were printed. Compared to light drinkers, heavy drinkers showed more pronounced discounting of delayed hypothetical monetary and alcohol rewards, which is indicative of a more short-term focus in decision making in heavy drinkers. Heavy drinkers were also slower to colour-name alcohol-related words, which indicates an attentional bias for alcohol-related cues. In all participants, measures of delay discounting and attentional bias were correlated moderately with each other, and also with the level of alcohol consumption and with alcohol craving. In adolescents, heavy alcohol use is associated with biased attentional processing of alcohol-related cues and a shorter-term focus in decision making.
Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey
Health Canada (2011). Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey. Retrieved from Health Canada website: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/drugs-drogues/stat/ _2011/summary-sommaire-eng.php#a3