Abstract
BackgroundThis study aimed to examine: 1) the relationship between being a runaway and the time since the first absconding event and adolescent substance use; 2) whether different kinds of psychoactive substances have a different temporal relationship to the first absconding event; and 3) whether the various reasons for the first absconding event are associated with different risks of substance use.MethodsParticipants were drawn from the 2004-2006 nationwide outreach programs across 26 cities/towns in Taiwan. A total of 17,133 participants, age 12-18 years, who completed an anonymous questionnaire on their experience of running away and substances use and who were now living with their families, were included in the analysis.ResultsThe lifetime risk of tobacco, alcohol, betel nut, and illegal drug/inhalant use increased steadily from adolescents who had experienced a trial runaway episode (one time lasting ≤ 1 day), to those with extended runaway experience (≥ 2 times or lasting > 1 day), when compared to those who had never ran away. Adolescents who had their first running away experience > 6 months previously had a greater risk of betel nut or illegal drug/inhalant use over the past 6-months than those with a similar experience within the last 6 months. Both alcohol and tobacco use were most frequently initiated before the first running away, whereas both betel nut and illegal drug/inhalant use were most frequently initiated after this event. When adolescents who were fleeing an unsatisfactory home life were compared to those who ran away for excitement, the risk of alcohol use was similar but the former tended to have a higher risk of tobacco, betel nut, and illegal drug/inhalant use.ConclusionsMore significant running away and a longer time since the first absconding experience were associated with more advanced substance involvement among adolescents now living in a family setting. Once adolescents had left home, they developed additional psychoactive substance problems, regardless of their reasons for running away. These findings have implications for caregivers, teachers, and healthcare workers when trying to prevent and/or intervening in adolescent substance use.
Highlights
This study aimed to examine: 1) the relationship between being a runaway and the time since the first absconding event and adolescent substance use; 2) whether different kinds of psychoactive substances have a different temporal relationship to the first absconding event; and 3) whether the various reasons for the first absconding event are associated with different risks of substance use
The aims of this study are: 1) to investigate associations linking running away, in terms of severity and time since the first absconding episode, with substance use involvement among adolescents who were living with their families at the time of the survey; 2) to examine whether the temporal sequence linking substance use and the first absconding episode may be different across the type of substance used, including alcohol, tobacco, betel nut, and illegal drugs/inhalants; and 3) to examine whether the connection between running away and substance use varies with the reason for absconding
When lifetime use of tobacco, alcohol, betel nut, and illegal drugs/inhalants are compared among adolescents grouped by the severity of running away, the prevalence of drug use increased from those who had never ran away to those with a trial running away, to those with an extended running away
Summary
This study aimed to examine: 1) the relationship between being a runaway and the time since the first absconding event and adolescent substance use; 2) whether different kinds of psychoactive substances have a different temporal relationship to the first absconding event; and 3) whether the various reasons for the first absconding event are associated with different risks of substance use. A household survey in the USA indicated that adolescents with overnight absconding within the past 6 months have a higher rate of psychoactive substance use than those without similar experience [18]. Little is known about whether adolescents with experience of a brief running away episode have a high prevalence of substance use, and whether drug involvement differs with the time that has elapsed since the first episode. Previous research has indicated that the reasons for running away may be linked with a varying risk of drug use among adolescents who are staying in shelters or on the streets [19], yet whether such a phenomenon exists among adolescents with brief absconding experiences remains to be investigated
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