Self-attributed consequences of cocaine use.

Abstract

This study examines self-attributed consequences of cocaine use in a nonclinical sample of 1,270 young adults. A social learning perspective was used to examine the ability of motivational dimensions of use, as well as use patterns, to predict negative consequences of use. Four scales of negative consequences emerged: Negative Effects, Dependency Symptoms, Physical/Social, and Legal/Interpersonal consequences. Reasons for using cocaine, patterns of use, and their interactions significantly predicted negative consequences of use. Those subjects who endorsed coping reasons for use were more likely, while those who endorsed uplift reasons were less likely, to experience negative consequences.