Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The concern over the nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) has increased in recent years, as the public and substance use experts become increasingly aware of the high prevalence of such prescription drug use. Despite increased research in this area, little research has focused on the motivations for NMUPD. This is a noteworthy limitation, as recreational users may be quite different from those who are using prescription drugs without a prescription to treat a medical illness/condition. The present study uses data from over 11,000 eleventh grade students to model the predictors of NMUPD by motivation for using. Results indicate that …

The dramatic rise in prescription opioid misuse (POM) is a major issue that has implications for the medical community, mental health practitioners, criminal justice officials, and public health professionals. Though there is an increasing amount of research being done on the issue, a relatively small number of studies focus on military veterans or are grounded in theoretical explanations of drug use. As a result, the theoretical links that may explain POM in this population are not well-understood. The goal of this study, therefore, is to examine the extent to which Reginald Smart's availability-proneness model may be able to account for …

Modern desistance research has examined many facets of desistance, both in terms of theoretical predictors of desistance and recidivism, and in terms of differing types of offending. Though predicting desistance from illegal drug use is among these topics, no research to date has examined the predictors of desisting from prescription opioid abuse. This study uses longitudinal data from 318 prescription opioid users to analyze the effects of various predictors of desistance on declining nonmedical prescription opioid use, with an emphasis on gender differences among participants. Results indicate theoretical and demographic characteristics correspond with differing rates of decline and further vary …