Distinct psychological profiles among college students with substance use: A cluster analytic approach.

Distinct psychological profiles among college students with substance use: A cluster analytic approach. Addict Behav. 2020 May 21;109:106477 Authors: Lannoy S, Mange J, Leconte P, Ritz L, Gierski F, Maurage P, Beaunieux H Abstract Substance use in youth is a central public health concern, related to deleterious consequences at psychological, social, and cognitive/cerebral levels. Previous research has identified impulsivity and consumption motives as key factors in the emergence of excessive substance use among college students. However, most studies have focused on a specific substance and have considered this population as a unitary group, ignoring the potential heterogeneity in psychological profiles. We used a cluster analytic approach to explore the heterogeneity in a large sample (N = 2741) of substance users (i.e., tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin) on impulsivity and consumption motives. We identified four clusters: The first two clusters, associated with good self-esteem, low anxiety, and moderate substance use, were respectively characterized by low impulsivity and consumption motives (Cluster 1) and by high social and enhancement motives without marked impulsivity (Cluster 2). The two other clusters were conversely related to low self-esteem and high anxiety, and characterized by high consumption motives (particularly conformity) together with elevated urgency (Cluster 3) and by globally increased impu...
Source: Addictive Behaviors - Category: Addiction Authors: Tags: Addict Behav Source Type: research