Individual differences in coping and emotion regulation tendencies as predictors of nonmedical prescription drug and illicit drug misuse: A latent profile analysis

Background: Nonmedical prescription drug misuse among young adults is a significant public health concern. Research has shown great heterogeneity in the types of motivations/factors behind different patterns of prescription drug misuse among young adults and adolescents. Understanding individual-level risk factors (e.g., personalities and predispositions) can help inform the type of prevention or intervention efforts to be targeted for different groups. Moreover, they can assist in delineating appropriate prevention or intervention approaches to be used (e.g., building on specific strengths/characteristics of the individual).

Method: Young adults (aged 16 to 25 years) who had misused prescription drugs within the past 90 days were interviewed in Los Angeles and New York. The current study utilized latent profile analysis to empirically derive groups of nonmedical prescription drug users based on participants' coping and emotion regulation tendencies (N=560). After controlling for effects associated with significant covariates (e.g., gender, homelessness, interview site), prescription drug and illicit drug misuse patterns were then compared between these classes.

Results: Four latent classes/groups were identified: 1) suppressors; 2) others-reliant copers; 3) active copers; and 4) self-reliant copers. We found striking patterns of prescription and illicit drug misuse among individuals from different classes, including differences in age of initiation of opiates, tranquilizers, and illicit drugs, history of injection drug use, and recent use (last 90 days) of tranquilizers, heroin, and cocaine. Suppressors and others-reliant copers were at greatest risk for these outcomes.

Conclusions: Findings illustrate how individual differences in coping and emotion regulation can significantly predict prescription and illicit drug misuse.