Abstract
The social contexts surrounding the use and abuse of inhalants are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to utilize latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify specific subgroups of adolescents based on social contextual effects surrounding inhalant use episodes in a sample of 279 adolescent inhalant users. Findings revealed that a three-class solution exhibited the best empirical and conceptual fit with the data. Identified classes represented a gradient of low, moderate, and high levels of contextual effects where approximately one third of adolescent inhalant users reported high levels of inhalant use in response to social contextual influences. Subsequent validation analysis showed that these gradient-based classes were directly correspondent with severity in measures of psychopathology, past drug use, variety of inhalants used, and measures of impulsivity and fearlessness. Results indicate heterogeneity in contextual effects on inhalant use and suggest that follow-up studies should examine the role that susceptibility and exposure to contextual effects has on inhalant use.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 129-133 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Drug and Alcohol Dependence |
| Volume | 91 |
| Issue number | 2-3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 Dec 1 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Grateful acknowledgements to Mark Steward, Director, Gail D. Mumford, Deputy Director, and Alicia Jenkins, Dual Jurisdiction/Case management Coordinator of the Missouri Division of Youth Services. Funding for this study was provided by NIDA Grant DA 15929 and DA 15556; NIDA had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Toxicology
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Pharmacology (medical)
