Edward M. Adlaf

The prevalence of elevated psychological distress among Canadian undergraduates: findings from the 1998 Canadian Campus Survey.

Abstract For a study of elevated psychological distress, the authors used data based on a national probability sample of 7,800 Canadian undergraduate students from 16 universities. They used the 12-item General Health Questionnaire to assess mental health. Thirty percent of the students in the sample reported elevated psychological distress, which varied significantly according to sex, region, year of study, and recreational and academic orientation. Rates of elevated distress were significantly higher among the students than among the general population in Canada.

Multilevel analysis of situational drinking among Canadian undergraduates

Using a multi-level approach, we examined the contribution of drinking setting characteristics and of individual characteristics on the alcohol intake per drinking occasion. The data are drawn from the Canadian Campus Survey, a national mail survey conducted in 1998 with a random sample of 8,864 students in 18 universities. For each student, up to five drinking occasions were investigated, resulting in 26,348 drinking occasions among 6,850 drinkers. At the individual level this study focused on the university life experience. At the situational level, information about alcohol intake was recorded relative to why, when, where and with whom drinking occurred. Our results show that drinking setting is as important as the individual characteristics in explaining the alcohol intake per occasion. Policies aimed at reducing students alcohol intake may be more beneficial if they address both situational and individual factors.

A Cluster-Analytic Study of Substance Problems and Mental Health Among Street Youths

Based on a cluster analysis of 211 street youths aged 13-24 years interviewed in 1992 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, we describe the configuration of mental health and substance use outcomes. Eight clusters were suggested: Entrepreneurs (n = 19) were frequently involved in delinquent activity and were highly entrenched in the street lifestyle; Drifters (n = 35) had infrequent social contact, displayed lower than average family dysfunction, and were not highly entrenched in the street lifestyle; Partiers (n = 40) were distinguished by their recreational motivation for alcohol and drug use and their below average entrenchment in the street lifestyle; Retreatists (n = 32) were distinguished by their high coping motivation for substance use; Fringers (n = 48) were involved marginally in the street lifestyle and showed lower than average family dysfunction; Transcenders (n = 21), despite above average physical and sexual abuse, reported below average mental health or substance use problems; Vulnerables (n = 12) were characterized by high family dysfunction (including physical and sexual abuse), elevated mental health outcomes, and use of alcohol and other drugs motivated by coping and escapism; Sex Workers (n = 4) were highly entrenched in the street lifestyle and reported frequent commercial sexual work, above average sexual abuse, and extensive use of crack cocaine. The results showed that distress, self-esteem, psychotic thoughts, attempted suicide, alcohol problems, drug problems, dual substance problems, and dual disorders varied significantly among the eight clusters. Overall, the findings suggest the need for differential programming. The data showed that risk factors, mental health, and substance use outcomes vary among this population. Also, for some the web of mental health and substance use problems is inseparable.

Prevalence and Correlates of Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Adolescents

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) among adolescents has been identified as an important health priority. However, studies of TBI among adolescents in large representative samples are lacking.This information is important to the planning and evaluation of injury prevention efforts, particularly because even minor TBI may have important adverse consequences. We describe the prevalence of TBI, the mechanisms of injury, and adverse correlates in a large representative sample of adolescents living in Ontario, Canada. Language: en

COMORBIDITY OF PSYCHIATRIC AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS IN LATE ADOLESCENCE: A CLUSTER ANALYTIC APPROACH

Cluster analysis was used to identify subgroups of youths with past-year substance and/or psychiatric disorders (N = 110, mean age 19.0 years). Data for this study came from a community-based, prospective longitudinal investigation of speech/language (S/L) impaired children and matched controls who participated in extensive diagnostic and psychosocial assessments at entry into the study at 5 years of age and again at follow-up. Clustering variables were based on five DSM diagnostic categories assessed at age 19 with the University of Michigan Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Using Wards method, the five binary variables were entered into a hierarchical cluster analysis. An iterative clustering method (K-means) was then used to refine the Ward solution. Finally, a series of analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were run to analyze group differences between clusters on measures of Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), criminal involvement, anxiety and depressive symptomatology, and frequency of drug use and heavy drinking. The analysis yielded eight replicable cluster groups, which were labeled as follows: (a) anxious (20.9%); (b) anxious drinkers (5.5%); (c) depressed (16.4%); (d) depressed drug abusers (10%); (e) antisocial (16.4%); (f) antisocial drinkers (10%); (g) drug abusers (8.2%); (h) problem drinkers (12.7%). These groups were differentiated by external criteria, thus supporting the validity of our cluster solution. Cluster membership was associated with a history of S/L impairment: A large proportion of the depressed drug abusers and the antisocial cluster group had S/L impairment that was identified at age 5. Clarification of the developmental progress of the youths in these cluster groups can inform our approach to early intervention and treatment.

Incorporating the AUDIT into a general population telephone survey: a methodological experiment.

This study assessed potential ordering and wording effects of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT). In total, 688 respondents were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: Intact order/original wording (n=148), intact order/revised wording (n=183), split order/original wording (n=192), split order/revised wording (n=166). Changes to question order and wording had no discernable impact on the scores of the AUDIT. Our results suggest that alterations to the AUDIT can be made in order to integrate it within a larger survey without adversely affecting its measurement properties.

Substance Use Disorders in Young Adults With and Without LD Predictive and Concurrent Relationships

This article reports on young people with and without learning disabilities (LD) and substance use disorders (SUD). Participants were assessed for LD at ages 12 and 19 and for SUD and psychiatric disorders at age 19. Participants with LD at ages 12 and 19 were more likely to develop an SUD or a psychiatric disorder compared to participants without consistent LD. Participants with LD at age 19 were more likely to have a concurrent SUD or psychiatric disorder compared to those without LD at age 19, while participants with LD at age 12 showed only a trend toward increased rates of SUD at age 19 when compared to participants without LD at age 12. Participants with and without LD did not differ in substance use, consumption levels, or onset history. In a multivariate model, adolescent LD was associated with a three-fold increased risk for SUD after behavioral problems and family structure had entered the model. Although these results provide some support for the notion that adolescents with LD are at increased risk for SUD, LD also appears to confer a general risk for adverse outcomes.

RISK-TAKING AND DRUG USE BEHAVIOUR: AN EXAMINATION

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between several forms of drug-use behaviour and risk-taking propensity. Jacksons (1976) risk-taking measure was employed among a sample of high school students (N = 634) selected from a province-wide probability survey on student drug use. The authors predicted that risk-taking would be associated with: (i) the dependence potential of a given drug; (ii) level of drug use; (iii) polydrug use. No conclusive evidence was found confirming the first two hypotheses; however, the data clearly demonstrated that level of polydrug use was significantly related to risk scores. The authors suggest that risk-taking as a general personality trait may more readily distinguish non-users from users of various drugs than discriminate among degrees of use in the latter.

Sentence severity and the drinking driver: relationships with traffic safety outcome.

While a major response to the drinking-driving problem has been to increase penalties for drinking-driving offences, the impact of sentence severity on the driving behaviour of offenders (specific deterrence) remains unclear. In this research, relationships between aspects of sentence severity (license suspension, fine, jail term, assignment to probation, or temporary absence programmes) and postconviction accidents and drinking-driving convictions were examined, while controlling statistically for demographic and previous driving record factors. License suspensions were consistently associated with traffic safety benefits. However, increasing severity of other aspects of punishment seemed unrelated to outcome or was associated with increased traffic safety problems. As well, important differences between first, second, and multiple offenders were observed, which may be related to the impact of different aspects of sentence severity on driving behaviour.

Epidemiology of firesetting in adolescents: mental health and substance use correlates

OBJECTIVE Despite high rates of firesetting among community adolescents, little is known about its correlates. This study identifies the mental health and substance use correlates of four firesetting levels in an epidemiological sample of adolescents. METHODS Three thousand, nine hundred and sixty-five (3,965) students in grades 7 to 12 were surveyed. Multinomial analyses were used to compare non-firesetters; desisters (lifetime, but no past-year firesetting); low frequency firesetters (once or twice in the past 12 months); and high frequency firesetters (3 + times) on measures of mental health and substance use. RESULTS Twenty-seven percent of youth reported firesetting during the past year. Of these, 13.7% reported one or two episodes, and 13.5% reported 3 or more episodes. Firesetting was more prevalent among males and among those in high school. Youth who began firesetting before age 10 were more likely to report frequent firesetting during the past year. Compared to non-firesetters, the firesetting groups had elevated risk profiles. Desisters and low frequency firesetters were more likely to report psychological distress, binge drinking, frequent cannabis use, and sensation seeking. Low frequency firesetters also reported higher rates of delinquent behavior, suicidal intent, and low parental monitoring than non-firesetters. High frequency firesetters reported elevated risk ratios for all of these risk indicators plus other illicit drug use. The cumulative number of risk indicators was positively associated with firesetting severity. CONCLUSIONS Firesetting is associated with psychopathology and substance use during adolescence. Findings highlight the need for programs to address the mental health and substance use problems that co-occur with firesetting.