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Despite growing numbers of older-adult illicit drug users, research on this topic is rare. This study examined the relationship between marijuana and/or other illicit drug use and major depressive episode (MDE) and serious suicidal thoughts among those aged 50+ years in the USA.
Methods:
The public use files of the 2008 to 2012 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provided data on 29,634 individuals aged 50+ years. Logistic regression analysis was used to test hypothesized associations between past-year marijuana and/or other illicit drug use and MDE and serious suicidal thoughts.
Results:
Nearly 6% of the 50+ years age group reported past-year marijuana and/or other illicit drug use. Compared to non-users of any illicit drug, the odds of past-year MDE among those who used marijuana only, other illicit drugs only, and marijuana and other illicit drugs were 1.54 (95% CI = 1.17–2.03), 2.75 (95% CI = 1.75–4.33), and 2.12 (95% CI = 1.45–3.09), respectively. Those who used marijuana and other drugs also had higher odds (2.44, 95% CI = 1.58–3.77) of suicidal thoughts than non-users of any illicit drug. However, among users of any illicit drug, no difference was found among users of marijuana only, marijuana and other illicit drugs, and other illicit drugs only. Among marijuana users, marijuana use frequency was a significant correlate of suicidal thoughts only among those with MDE.
Conclusions:
Health and mental health (MH) service providers should pay close attention to the potential reciprocal effects of marijuana and other illicit drug use and MDE and suicidal thoughts among late middle-aged and older adults.
This chapter highlights research pertaining to children of illicit drug users or substance users. It provides an in-depth examination of how proximal and distal environmental factors for children of illicit drug users are conceptualized and measured, as well as how the understanding and methodology can be improved. The maternal-child interaction is typically assessed using coded live observations or videotaped footage. A lack of parental response to family conflict also tends to be problematic in substance-using families and maladaptive family problem-solving and avoidance of familial conflict has been associated with reinforcement of substance use behavior. Typically conflict, communication, and cohesion are assessed together using self-report measures of the overall family environment, either from the child or parent's perspective. Evidence indicates that a myriad of environmental risk and protective factors across parenting behaviors, family environment, social context, and the neighborhood play a role in determining outcomes for children of illicit drug users.
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