Progression to Regular Heroin Use: Examination of Patterns, Predictors, and Consequences

Overview

Journal Addict Behav

Specialties Psychiatry
Social Sciences

Date 2015 Mar 14

PMID 25765913

Citations 21

Authors

Eric A Woodcock

Leslie H Lundahl

Jonathan J K Stoltman

Mark K Greenwald

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The present study retrospectively evaluated the chronology and predictors of substance use progression in current heroin-using individuals.

Methods: Out-of-treatment heroin users (urinalysis-verified; N=562) were screened for laboratory-based research studies using questionnaires and urinalysis. Comprehensive substance use histories were collected. Between- and within-substance use progression was analyzed using stepwise linear regression models.

Results: The strongest predictor of onset of regular heroin use was age at initial heroin use, accounting for 71.8% of variance. The strongest between-substance predictors of regular heroin use were ages at regular alcohol and tobacco use, accounting for 8.1% of variance. Earlier onset of regular heroin use (≤20 years) vs. older onset (≥30 years) was associated with a more rapid progression from initial to regular use, longer duration of heroin use, more lifetime use-related negative consequences, and greater likelihood of injecting heroin. The majority of participants (79.7%) reported substance use progression consistent with the gateway hypothesis. Gateway-inconsistent individuals were more likely to be African-American and to report younger age at initial use, longer duration of heroin use, and more frequent past-month heroin use.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the predictive validity and clinical relevance of evaluating substance use chronology and the gateway hypothesis pattern of progression.

Citing Articles

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Patterns and contexts of polysubstance use among young and older adults who are involved in the criminal legal system and use opioids: A mixed methods study.

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Rodriguez-Ruiz J, Zych I, Llorent V, Marin-Lopez I Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2021; 21(3):100251.

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Becker S, Scott K, Helseth S, Danko K, Balk E, Saldanha I J Subst Abuse Treat. 2021; 132:108494.

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