Adolescents' Nonmedical Use of Prescription Medications and Other Problem Behaviors
Received 4 November 2008; accepted 31 March 2009. published online 19 June 2009.
Refers to article:
Prescription Drug Use by Adolescents: What We Are Learning and What We Still Need to Know
Lloyd D. Johnston
Journal of Adolescent Health
December 2009 (Vol. 45, Issue 6, Pages 539-540) Full Text |
Full-Text PDF (196 KB)
Purpose
This study examines adolescent nonmedical use of prescription medications (NUPM) and its relationship to other problem behaviors.
Methods
A secondary analysis was conducted with data gathered from 912 adolescents in 2007. Four mutually exclusive groups were created from the data. Adolescents who: 1) did not use controlled prescription medications (nonusers); 2) used their own controlled medications as prescribed (medical-users); 3) engaged in nonmedical use for self-treatment motivations (self-treaters), and 4) engaged in nonmedical use for sensation-seeking motivations (sensation-seekers). These four groups were compared on problem behaviors as well as depression and impulsivity.
Results
Approximately 10.9% of the sample engaged in NUPM and 36.8% had a legal prescription for a controlled medication. Sensation-seekers were more likely to engage in most problem behaviors when compared with all other groups; impulsivity and depression was variable among groups.
Conclusions
The findings suggest there are different subtypes of nonmedical users of prescription medications.
ABSTRACT