Comparisons of Cocaine-Only, Opioid-Only, and Users of Both Substances in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC)
BACKGROUND:
Cocaine
and opioid co-use is a notable public health concern, but little is known about
correlates of this behavior. Most prior findings come from treatment samples
and concern cocaine and heroin. Findings from a nationally representative
sample involving primarily prescription opioid misuse would expand knowledge.
METHODS:
Past-12-month
cocaine and/or opioid users in Wave 1 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on
Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) formed the sample (N = 839).
Cocaine-only, opioid-only, and cocaine/opioid co-users were compared regarding
sociodemographics, other substance involvement, psychiatric, and medical
conditions/events.
RESULTS:
Opioid-only
users were the largest group (n = 622), followed by cocaine-only (n = 144) and
co-users (n = 73). The vast majority of opioid misuse was of prescription
opioids (1.4% with past-12-month use of heroin). Notably, co-users did not
differ from single drug users in frequency of use of either drug. Co-users did
not have significantly greater incidence of any psychiatric conditions, medial
conditions, or events. In preliminary analyses, co-users were more likely than
either single use group to report several classes of other drug use. However,
for most comparisons, opioid use did not add substantial risk beyond cocaine
use. Differences on multiple sociodemographic variables suggested opioid-only
users were at lowest risk of negative outcomes. These results may relate to a
finding that opioid-only users were less likely to have sought treatment.
CONCLUSIONS:
This sample of past-12-month cocaine and/or opioid users
had greater involvement with other substances, more psychiatric and medical
conditions compared to the general population. Co-users had greater involvement
with other substances than opioid-only users in particular.
- 1 Psychiatry , Yale School of Medicine , New Haven , Connecticut , USA.
- 2 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut , USA.
- 3 Psychology, Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut , USA.
- 4 Psychology, Colorado State University , Fort Collins , Colorado , USA.
- Subst Use Misuse. 2016 Mar 22:1-12.
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