Adult Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use: An Examination of Bond Theory

Abstract

Using data from the 2010 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), this research examines the extent to which social bonds predict nonmedical prescription drug use among adults. Logistic regression analyses reveal that marital bonds are consistently and negatively related to various types of nonmedical drug use net other social and medical factors; however, employment bonds are only significant and negative in models predicting nonmedical pain reliever use. Analyses of interaction terms between gender and social bonds are examined but are found non-predictive. Issues concerning a lack of data availability for adult nonmedical drug use and the quality of adult bonds are discussed.