Patterns Of Adolescent Substance Use Research Articles

Playing for more than winning: Exploring sports participation, physical activity, and belongingness and their relationship with patterns of adolescent substance use and mental health

BackgroundPromoting adolescent sports participation and physical activity may be effective low-barrier prevention strategies for co-occurring adolescent substance use (SU) and mental health symptoms (MH). The objectives of this study were to: 1) explore associations between profiles of SU/MH and sports participation; and 2) determine whether physical activity and belongingness account for these associations. MethodsData came from a representative sample of 11,994 grade 9–12 Ontarian students (ages ~14–18) previously grouped into five SU/MH profiles based on patterns of use and symptoms. A series of multinomial logistic regressions, adjusted for socio-demographics and school clustering, were used to predict the risks of students belonging to SU/MH profiles based on: 1) school sports participation (>=weekly), 2) sports and physical activity (>=60minutes; 0–7 days), and 3) sports, physical activity, and school belongingness. ResultsGreater school sports participation, physical activity, and belongingness were each associated with reduced risks of belonging to most profiles with elevations in SU and/or MH symptoms relative to the low SU/MH profile (Relative Risk Ratios: sports=0.62–0.87, physical activity=0.78–0.98, belonging=0.75–0.83). Frequency of physical activity accounted for ~32–60% of the associations between sports and SU/MH profiles, while school belongingness accounted for the remaining associations. Physical activity and belongingness remained independently associated with SU/MH profiles. ConclusionsFindings suggest possible indirect associations between school sports participation and SU/MH profiles through physical activity and school belongingness, which may be promising prevention targets that have independent associations over and above sports. School sports participation may be one of a number of ways to achieve these goals.

Adolescent Substance Use Patterns and Risk for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Young Adulthood.

There is strong evidence that substance use is a risk factor for suicidality. Prior studies have focused on the suicide risk associated with using individual substances, even though substance users often use more than one substance. This study investigates the association between patterns of adolescent substance use and suicidality in young adulthood. Participants were U.S. adolescents (n = 2,111, 58.9% female, mean age = 16.31 years) from the NEXT Generation Health Study, which followed tenth graders for 7 years (2009/2010-2016) and collected data via yearly surveys. Longitudinal latent class analysis was used to identify high school patterns of substance use, and logistic regression was used to relate these patterns to risk of suicidality in young adulthood. We identified two groups of adolescents: "non-/infrequent users" (71%) and "multiple substance users" (29%). Multiple substance users had higher odds of making a suicide plan or attempt in young adulthood (odds ratio [OR] = 2.41, 95% CI [1.05, 5.53]), but not suicidal ideation (OR = 1.55, 95% CI [0.80, 2.99]), than non-/infrequent users, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms. Multiple substance users with suicidal ideation were not more likely to progress to a later plan or attempt (OR = 1.41, 95% CI [0.41, 4.84]) than non-/infrequent users. Adolescents who use substances in high school are at higher risk for making a suicide plan or attempt in young adulthood. Early identification of these adolescents may help inform interventions to mitigate risk for suicidal behaviors in young adulthood.

Emergence of Sex Differences in U.S. Adolescent Substance Use

Background: Adolescence is a common time for experimentation with substance use and the emergence of sex differences in substance use patterns. Although similar in early adolescence, male and female substance use patterns historically diverge by young adulthood, with males using more substances than females. We aim to add to current literature by utilizing a nationally representative sample, assessing a broad range of substances used, and focusing on a sentinel period during which sex differences emerge. We hypothesized that certain sex-specific substance use patterns emerge in adolescence. Methods: Data are from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 13,677), a nationally representative sample of high school students. Weighted logistic analyses of covariance adjusting for race/ethnicity evaluated males’ and females’ substance use (14 outcomes) by age category. Results: Among all adolescents, more males reported illicit substance use and cigarette smoking than females, whereas more females reported prescription opioid misuse, synthetic cannabis use, recent alcohol use, and binge drinking. Divergence between male and female use usually occurred at 18+ years. Odds of using most illicit substances were significantly greater among males than females at age 18+ years (aORs 1.7–4.47). Among 18+ year-olds, males and females did not differ in electronic vapor product use, alcohol use, binge drinking, cannabis use, synthetic cannabis use, cigarette smoking, or prescription opioid misuse. Conclusions: Sex differences in adolescent use of most but not all substances emerge by age 18+ years. Sex-specific patterns of adolescent substance use may inform specific prevention efforts and identify peak ages for intervention.

Mental Health of Russian Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions may be particularly harmful for adolescents; however, evidence about changes in adolescent mental health during the pandemic is inconsistent.The aim was to examine changes in levels of Russian adolescent mental health and rates of substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic.Participants and methods: two cohorts of 11–18-year-old adolescents were recruited from Siberian cities in 2015–18 (n = 1774, 47% male) and in 2020–21 (n = 1747, 43% male). Participants completed identical sets of questionnaires: the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Body Image and Eating Distress scale and items on tobacco, alcohol and drug use. We examined the effect of cohort, gender and age using linear models.Results: in the 2020–21 cohort, depression, anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms, total mental health problems and levels of substance use were higher than in the 2015–18 cohort. Increases in emotional symptoms and total mental health problems were similar in both genders, whereas increases in rates of smoking and alcohol use were significant only among girls.Conclusions: the present findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic experience was likely to be stressful for adolescents. Therefore, more research on risk and protective factors of Russian adolescent mental health is needed. The findings also suggest that preventative interventions should be based on gender-specific patterns of adolescent substance use.

Substance Use Disorder among Hospitalized Adolescents in North Carolina.

Individuals who began using alcohol or other drugs before the age of 15 are 7 times more likely to develop a substance use disorder (SUD) in adulthood. This study sought to determine the common characteristics of SUD-related hospitalizations and patterns of discharge diagnoses among adolescents in North Carolina. Using the 2014 State Inpatient Database (SID), discharge records associated with the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic codes for SUD were identified. Adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years were included. SUD and non-SUD groups were compared using the Student t test for continuous variables and the χ2 test for categorical variables. A total of 1.1 million hospital discharges were analyzed. A uniform and standardized coding system called Clinical Classifications Software was used to identify cases. The Clinical Classifications Software collapses the ICD-9-CM codes into 679 clinically meaningful categories. A cluster of 3900 ICD-9-CM procedure codes also was used to identify clinically relevant groups of procedures performed during hospitalization. An estimated 3276 adolescents associated with SUD were discharged from North Carolina hospitals during the study year. Discharged patients with a SUD spent a total of 21,242 inpatient days, at a cost of $62 million. Among the adolescents with a SUD, 53% were boys, 62% were White, 24% were Black, 8% were Hispanic (8%), and 6% were of other races. Compared with patients without a SUD, those with a SUD had longer mean hospital stays (6.5 days vs 4.7 days; P < 0.0001) and lower mean hospital charge per hospitalization ($18,932 vs 24,532; P < 0.0001). Adolescents with a SUD also were diagnosed primarily as having mood disorders (44.78%), followed by schizophrenia and other psychological disorders, upon discharge. Approximately 37% of the SUD-related discharges occurred in areas, denoted in this study using ZIP code designations, with mean household annual incomes <$38,999. A large proportion of the SUD-related hospitalizations (44%) were billed to Medicaid. Frequently observed diagnoses associated with adolescents with a SUD were mood disorders (45%), schizophrenia (7%), and poisoning by other medications and drugs (4%). In 16% of hospitalized adolescents with a SUD, there were at least 2 procedures performed. There was a statistically significant mean hospital charge difference of $5600 between SUD and non-SUD teens. The literature reflects the connection between adolescent use and the propensity for diagnosis with a SUD in adulthood; it is evident that this is a growing public health crisis. This study identified patterns of adolescent substance use that, based on the current literature, are indicative of problematic futures for these individuals. The concerning data and literature identify a significant need to address prevention, treatment, and recovery services for adolescents, not only in North Carolina but throughout the United States. The need for focused interventions, access to care, and funding of substance-specific adolescent education and services is greatly needed to change the trajectory of these adolescents' lives.

The Changing Patterns and Correlates of Adolescent Substance Use in China’s Special Administrative Region of Macau

Most of the research on adolescent substance use is from either the U.S, Europe, or other non-Eastern countries, but very little attention is paid to that in the Greater China Region. As a special administrative region of China, Macau is known for its gambling industry, its proximity to the Golden Triangle, and its lenient drug laws, all of which can be conducive to high-level drug use in the population, including its adolescents. Yet, the extent and patterns of adolescent substance use in Macau are not well understood. Using the data collected from two large representative samples of secondary school students in 2014 and 2018, this study provided population-based estimates of the prevalence rates of lifetime and past 30-day substance use among Macau adolescents in the two separate survey years. By comparing the two sets of estimates, it established the patterns of changes in cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and illicit drug use among adolescents in Macau during the period. Additionally, through the analysis of the data in the latest year, it identified risk factors for adolescent substance use in the special administrative region. Among the key results, the rates of cigarette smoking and illicit drug use were low to moderate while the rates of alcohol use were relatively high; cigarette smoking decreased during the period, but alcohol use and illicit drug use remained stable; Macau adolescents shared similar risk factors for substance use with adolescents elsewhere, but unique circumstances might exist to influence their alcohol consumption.

Emotional and behavioural pathways to adolescent substance use and antisocial behaviour: results from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.

This study examines the emotional and behavioural pathways to adolescent substance use and antisocial behaviour. Using a sample of 17,223 participants from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, we applied parallel-process growth mixture modelling on emotional and behavioural symptoms in those aged 3-14 and employed latent class analysis to identify patterns of substance use and antisocial behaviours at age 14. We then performed a multinomial regression analysis to explore the association between emotional and behavioural trajectories and patterns of adolescent substance use and antisocial behaviours, including sociodemographic, family, and maternal factors. We found five trajectories of emotional and behavioural symptoms and four classes of adolescence substance use and antisocial behaviour. Children and adolescents in the 'high externalising and internalising' and 'moderate externalising' trajectories were more likely to belong to any problematic behaviour class, especially the 'poly-substance use and antisocial behaviours' class. Inclusion in the 'moderate externalising and internalising (childhood limited)' class was associated with higher odds of belonging to the 'alcohol and tobacco' class. These associations remained significant after adjusting for important sociodemographic and contextual factors, such as maternal substance use, poverty, and parental status. Interventions on adolescent health promotion and risk behaviour prevention need to address the clustering of substance use and antisocial behaviour as well as the significant influence of early and chronic internalising and externalising symptoms on the aetiology of these behaviours.

A latent class analysis of changes in adolescent substance use between 1988 and 2011 in Sweden: associations with sex and psychosomatic problems.

To characterize changes in patterns of adolescent substance use in Sweden between 1988 and 2011, and to assess whether sex and psychosomatic problems were associated with substance use and whether these associations changed over time. Secondary analysis of repeated cross-sectional survey data. Survey data were collected eight times and analyzed as four cohorts (1988-91, 1995-98, 2002-05 and 2008-11). The sample included all 15-16-year-olds in Värmland County, Sweden (n=20 057). Binary-coded substance use measures included life-time use of alcohol and tobacco, getting drunk and past school year use of inhalants. An eight-item scale was used to assess psychosomatic problems. A three-class model fitted the data best (i.e. non/low use, mainly alcohol use and polysubstance use). The patterns of substance use were different among cohorts; most notably, adolescents in the last cohort had lower odds of being included in the alcohol and polysubstance use classes rather than the non/low use class than in the earlier cohorts (all Ps<0.001). Males had higher odds than females of being in the polysubstance use class rather than the non/low use class among the first three cohorts (all Ps<0.001) but not the last. Sex was not associated with inclusion in the alcohol use class rather than the non/low use class. Adolescents who reported more psychosomatic problems had higher odds of being included in the alcohol and polysubstance use classes rather than the non/low use class (all Ps<0.001). The associations of sex and psychosomatic problems with class inclusion did not change during the study period. Between 1988 and 2011, patterns of substance use among adolescents in Sweden shifted away from polysubstance use and alcohol use to non-use or low use. Associations between patterns of substance use and sex and psychosomatic problems remained largely consistent across the study period.

Changes in patterns of adolescent substance use from 1988 to 2011 in Sweden: a latent class analysis

Abstract Background Prevalence rates of adolescent substance use have shifted over time, although potential changes in nuanced patterns of substance use remain unexplored. We examined patterns of adolescent substance use in Sweden and changes in these patterns between 1988 and 2011. Furthermore, we investigated whether gender and internalizing problems were associated with substance use and whether these associations changed over time. Methods The sample included all 15-16-year-old students in Värmland County, Sweden (N = 20,057). Survey data were collected eight times between 1988 and 2011 and analyzed as four cohorts (1988/1991, 1995/1998, 2002/2005, 2008/2011). We measured alcohol, tobacco and inhalant use and internalizing problems. Results A latent class analysis showed that a three-class model fit the data best (i.e. non/low use, experimental use, and polysubstance use classes). Class- and item-response probabilities changed over time: fewer adolescents exhibited riskier substance use patterns in the later cohorts. Boys were more likely than girls to be in the polysubstance use class compared to the non/low use class across all cohorts (all ps &amp;lt; .001). Gender differences in experimental use differed across the cohorts. Adolescents who reported more internalizing problems were more likely to be included in the experimental and polysubstance use classes compared to the non/low use class (all ps &amp;lt; .001) and this effect did not change over the study period. Conclusions We extended the research on trends in rates of substance use by mapping how patterns of substance use changed over time as well as how the effects of gender and internalizing problems shifted. While fewer adolescents exhibited riskier patterns of substance use in the later cohorts, these patterns were associated with experiencing more internalizing problems across the study period. Prevention efforts could be more effective by targeting patterns of substance use rather than prevalence rates. Key messages We tested whether patterns of adolescent substance use changed from 1988 to 2011 in Sweden. Fewer adolescents showed riskier substance use patterns in the late 2000s than in the earlier study years. Gender differences shifted over time for experimental use but not polysubstance use. Internalizing problems were consistently associated with riskier substance use patterns across the study period.

Understanding the Highs and Lows of Adolescent Marijuana Use.

The latest report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that rates of marijuana use in the past month among 12- to 17-year-olds decreased by 0.5% between 2015 and 2016.1 Supporters of marijuana legalization have interpreted these new data to strengthen the claim that legalization is not associated with increases in adolescent marijuana use.2 Data from large, national studies are important but offer only a single, narrow view of the big picture. We now have more than 4 decades of national survey data showing shifts in the patterns of adolescent substance use over time. Data from the Monitoring the Future survey illustrate that the proportion of students who report no lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana has steadily increased from a low of 2.9% who denied any use in 1983 to 25% in 2013.3 This enormous and largely unnoticed public health success represents a cultural shift away from substance use overall. That is the good news. In the 1980s, the rates of student use of alcohol, … Address correspondence to Sharon Levy, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: sharon.levy{at}childrens.harvard.edu

Substance Use Patterns Among Adolescents in Europe: A Latent Class Analysis

ABSTRACTBackground: Several researchers have investigated substance use patterns using a latent class analysis; however, hardly no studies exist on substance use patterns across countries. Objectives: Adolescent substance use patterns, demographic factors, and international differences in the prevalence of substance use patterns were explored. Methods: Data from 25 European countries were used to identify patterns of adolescent (12–16 years, 50.6% female) substance use (N = 33,566). Results: Latent class analysis revealed four substance use classes: nonusers (68%), low-alcohol users (recent use of beer, wine, and alcopops; 16.1%), alcohol users (recent use of alcohol and lifetime use of marijuana; 11.2%), and polysubstance users (recent use of alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs; 4.7%). Results support a general pattern of adolescent substance use across all countries; however, the prevalence rates of use patterns vary for each country. Conclusions/importance: The present research provides insight into substance use patterns across Europe by using a large international adolescent sample, multidimensional indicators and a variety of substances. Substance use patterns are helpful when targeting policy and prevention strategies.

Unique versus cumulative effects of physical and sexual assault on patterns of adolescent substance use

The present study assessed the unique versus cumulative effects of physical and sexual assault, on patterns of substance-use in adolescents. It was hypothesized that experiencing a single assault (physical or sexual) when compared with exposure to both physical and sexual assault would be more strongly related to membership of polysubstance use classes. From the National Survey of Adolescents-1995 (N= 4023) 918 adolescents (age range=12–17 years, M=14.92, 49.6% female) with reports of physical assault and/or sexual assault were selected. Using information on alcohol-use, cigarette-smoking, chewing tobacco, non-prescribed use of medicines, and drug-use, latent class analysis indicated a three class solution for substance-use, namely, Experimental use, Light polysubstance-use, and Polysubstance-use. Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that as compared to adolescents exposed to a single type of assault those exposed to both physical and sexual assault were two-to-three times more likely to be in the heavier polysubstance-use class. Females were more likely to be members of the polysubstance-use class than of the experimental use class. Gender did not emerge as a significant moderator. It was concluded that assessing for single type or co-occurring assault can facilitate identification of adolescents at elevated risk for polysubstance-use.

A Typology of Substance Use Among Pregnant Teens in the United States.

Previous research suggests that, in general, youth who become pregnant during their teenage years tend to report elevated levels of substance use prior to conception and substantial reductions in use during pregnancy. While such studies provide insight into aggregate patterns of adolescent substance use in relation to pregnancy, they may have the unintended effect of masking the behavioral heterogeneity of pregnant teens. The present study employs data from a large, population-based study of adolescents in the United States. We employ latent class analysis to identify subgroups of pregnant adolescents (ages 12-17; n = 810) on the basis of variables measuring the past 12-month and past 30-day use of an extensive array of substances. Results revealed a four class solution. Classes were identified as Class 1: Abstainers (n = 344, 42.47 %), Class 2: Drinkers (n = 303, 37.41 %), Class 3: Alcohol and Cannabis Users (n = 77, 9.51 %), and Class 4: Polydrug Users (n = 86, 10.62 %). The Abstainers class had the highest proportion of Hispanic youth (34.3 %) as well as the highest proportion of youth residing in households earning less than $20,000 per year (44.2 %). The Polydrug Users class had the highest proportion of youth who were in late adolescence (75.58 %), non-Hispanic white (54.65 %), high-income (13.95 %), and in their first trimester of pregnancy (58.33 %). Findings point to an important degree of heterogeneity among pregnant teens and may have implications for the development of interventions designed for youth exhibiting disconcerting patterns of substance use prior to pregnancy.

Dynamic Patterns of Adolescent Substance Use: Results From a Nationally Representative Sample of High School Students.

Use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs increases during the high school years, yet little is known about individual patterns over time, particularly patterns of contemporaneous multiple-substance use. This study examined trajectories of contemporaneous substance use and how individual and social factors differentially predict patterns of substance use. Longitudinal trajectories of substance use were examined in a nationally representative sample of students (N = 2,512) over a 3-year period (10th through 12th grades) using latent class analysis. Individual, parental, and peer risk factors in 10th grade were examined in relation to membership in trajectory classes. A five-class model was identified: nonusers (45.5%); tobacco, alcohol, and other drug users (9.2%); alcohol and other drug users (9.2%); increasing multiple-substance users (16.7%); and decreasing multiple-substance users (19.4%). Depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with a higher likelihood of membership in all classes except the increasing multiple-substance-user class, but the association becomes insignificant when social influence factors were adjusted. Parental-monitoring knowledge was associated with a lower likelihood of membership in all classes except increasing multiple-substance-user class, whereas perceived parental disapproval was associated with a lower likelihood of membership in the tobacco, alcohol, and other drug user class. Peer substance use was associated with a higher likelihood of membership in each of the substance use classes. The identified longitudinal profiles highlight the pervasiveness and dynamic patterns of contemporaneous multiple-substance use during 10th through 12th grades. Negative peer influence increased risk, whereas positive parenting behaviors decreased risk. The findings are consistent with the need to foster social influences and protective factors against adolescent substance use.

A Longitudinal Examination of the Relationships between Childhood Maltreatment and Patterns of Adolescent Substance Use among High‐Risk Adolescents

Childhood maltreatment has been linked to adolescent substance use in cross-sectional studies but the studies were unable to test the associations between childhood maltreatment and changes in substance use patterns during adolescence. The present study investigated the linkages between exposure to childhood maltreatment and developmental trends of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioid, and hallucinogen use among high-risk adolescents. We used a sample of 937 adolescents (mean age: 15.9 years; range: 13-18), who were selected from five publicly-funded service systems, to examine the extent to which childhood maltreatment may influence changes in patterns of adolescent substance use over time. The present study identified a 3-class model of adolescent substance use. Mover-stayer latent transition analyses (LTA) indicated that progression toward heavy polysubstance use increased with experience of childhood maltreatment. Findings also suggested that older male adolescents (ages 15-18) who are involved with public service systems are at high risk for developing and maintaining multiple-substance use in adolescence. Experience of childhood maltreatment is associated with problematic patterns of adolescent substance use and may shape the longitudinal course of substance use during adolescence.

Childhood sexual abuse and adolescent substance use: A latent class analysis

Children who have exposure to child sexual abuse (CSA) are at particular risk for developing substance abuse in adolescence, but the extent to which CSA may shape patterns of adolescent substance use remains uncertain. The aim of this paper is to characterize the variations in patterns of adolescent substance use and to examine the association between CSA and qualitatively distinct patterns of adolescent substance use. Latent class analyses identified homogenous groups of adolescents with similar patterns of substance use using a sample of 1019 adolescents (mean age: 15.9 years; range: 13–18) who were selected from five publicly funded service systems. Different patterns of latent class structures were identified in boys and girls (a 4-class solution for girls and a 3-class solution for boys). CSA was associated with an increased risk of being a heavy polysubstance user in girls, even after adjustment of age, race/ethnicity, parental substance use, sibling use, peer use, psychopathology and other forms of childhood maltreatment including physical abuse and neglect. Findings indicate that female victims of CSA who are involved with public service systems are at high risk for developing multiple-substance use in adolescence.

A Multiprocess Latent Class Analysis of the Co-Occurrence of Substance Use and Sexual Risk Behavior Among Adolescents

To assess the co-occurrence of patterns of adolescent substance use and sexual behavior and test for potential moderating effects of gender. The 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey sample of 13,953 high school students was used in this study. Latent class analyses were conducted to examine the relation between patterns of substance use and sexual risk behavior in a nationally representative adolescent sample. The final model controlled for demographic covariates and an interaction between gender and substance-use classes. Four class solutions to each behavior provided optimal fit. Substance-use classes were nonusers (27%), alcohol experimenters (38%), occasional polysubstance users (23%), and frequent polysubstance users (13%). Sexual risk classes were abstainers (53%), monogamous (15%), low-frequency multipartner (18%), and high-frequency multipartner (14%). Substance-use class had a strong association with sexual behavior even when controlling for demographic covariates. African Americans were less likely to use substances but more likely to report sexual risk behaviors. interaction effects indicated that substance use among females was associated with increased sexual risk behavior compared with males. The results of this study provide impetus for the development of preventive interventions targeting change across multiple risk behaviors, and also for targeting particular high-risk groups or patterns of behavior.

Adolescent Substance Use in Germany and the United States

Theories of substance use highlight the importance of the sociocultural environment in understanding and explaining the prevalence and patterns of adolescent substance use. The likelihood to engage in substance use is said to be influenced by key social, structural and economic forces associated with the adolescents' demographic and socioeconomic background. Even though the need for cross-cultural applications of existing theoretical frameworks is apparent, the relationships posited by existing theories have mostly been tested with US samples. In the current article, data from the 2003 waves of the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey and the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) are used to investigate and assess the relationships between theoretically grounded measures and adolescent substance use in Germany and the United States.

The Relationship Of Personality Structure To Patterns Of Adolescent Substance Use.

The relationship of personality to patterns of adolescent substance use was examined in an effort to determine the extent to which these domains overlap. During the first year of a longitudinal study of adolescent drug use, self-report data were collected on personality and current use patterns of 13 substances. The data from the domains of drug use and personality were interrelated using canonical correlation analysis. Rotation of canonical variates and cross-validation were used in order to distinguish between statistically significant and theoretically meaningful results. The results revealed that a single dimension of general substance use was associated with a cluster of personality traits and attitudes. Although the overlap between the drug use and personality domains was moderately high, the ability of personality to account for variations in adolescent substance use was relatively low.