Social Context Of Use Research Articles

Depressant medication use by older persons in the broader social context relating to use of psychoactive substances

Although use of depressant medications is associated with a number of risks for older people (e.g. drug-drug and alcohol-drug interactions, dependence, falls), very little is known about the factors that lead to use of depressant medications, especially use of benzodiazepines. Physicians clearly play a role in prescribing these drugs, but there are likely to be other influences on use patterns, such as the social context that defines the appropriateness of use, the types of symptoms defined as needing depressant medications, and so on. The social context of use of depressant medications was examined using survey data from 826 persons aged 65 years and older. About 30% of respondents were using depressant medications, with most use to alleviate sleeplessness, stress or pain, and most regular users reporting considerable psychological dependence on continued use (especially for use of tranquillizing drugs). Overall, respondents who used depressant medications consumed about the same amount of alcohol as non...

Internal and external environment of individuals with schizophrenia during alcohol and drug use

Explanations for the high prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse in schizophrenia purport that substance use is related to social-affiliative needs or to symptom regulation. Neither explanation was adequate in describing substance-use episodes in the present longitudinal study. The study involved repeated interviews of 10 individuals with schizophrenia about their internal and external environment during substance use. Qualitative analyses of interview responses showed variability in multiple versus single episodes in a day and categories labeled Activities Prior to Use and Social Context of Use. Individual subject's responses each had a unique pattern that characterized their substance-use episodes.

Who uses Cocaine? Social Profiles of Cocaine Users

Despite the long history of cocaine use in the UK, little is known about which groups use it. This paper describes contemporary cocaine users in England of both its powder and crack form, in the 1990s. A classification, based on social context of use, was developed from ethnographic data collected on 82 users between 1990 and 1992. Three distinct groups of cocaine users were identified: recreational cocaine users, poly-drug cocaine users and salient cocaine users. The recognition of the heterogeneity of cocaine users could inform service providers. Recreational users are unlikely to make demands on services. Poly-drug users may already be in contact with existing services but may not have reported their cocaine use. Consequently problematic cocaine use, as a confounder of other drug problems, may go unnoticed. Salient cocaine users are less likely to identify themselves with other drug users such as opiate users, are less likely to have knowledge of drug services, and evidence suggests that drug agencies ...

Cocaine use among young adults.

The use of cocaine has become quite prevalent among many segments of society, with increasing public concern and personal difficulties resulting from it. This study examines a large group of young adults to determine how cocaine users differ from nonusers. Fully one-third of the sample had used cocaine in the past six months, with about 5% reporting weekly or more use. Numerous important differences were found between users and nonusers in regard to sociodemographic characteristics, use of other licit and illicit drugs, deviant attitudes and behavior, social context of use, physical health, mental health, and life satisfaction. Differences increased with greater involvement with the drug, to the point where cocaine abusers were strikingly different than nonusers. The largest distinctions were noted in regard to cocaine users having more difficulty in the successful acquisition of adult role responsibilities, greater use of other drugs, engaging in more deviant behaviors, and immersion in a social context conducive to use. Smaller but noteworthy differences revealed that cocaine users had poor physical and emotional health statuses and lowered life satisfaction, compared to nonusers. Finally, several personality traits, and in particular a lack of law abidance, predicted a significant increase in cocaine use from adolescence to young adulthood.

Cocaine use among adolescents: Longitudinal associations with social context, psychopathology, and use of other substances

Cocaine use has become a significant personal and social problem among all segments of American society. This study uses longitudinal data obtained over a 5-year period from a sample of 847 adolescents to examine numerous antecedents, consequences, and concomitants of cocaine use. Over the 5-year period, significant increases in actual use and social context of use were evident, with 15% of the 17–19 year-olds reporting they had been “super high or stoned” on cocaine at least once. Path analytic models were used to examine the impact of intentions and social context variables (e.g., peer use) on self-use over time, as well as to study the effects of earlier use of alcohol and cannabis on subsequent use of cocaine. Self-reported use of cocaine was highly predictive of use of many other drug substances. Intent to use cocaine is associated with several personality traits. With one exception, measures of psychopathology were not predictive of, nor influenced by, cocaine use over a 1-year period. However, depression did lead to increased cocaine use over this period of time. Finally, income from salaries and gifts was predictive of current cocaine use to a small but significant degree.