Illicit Substance Use and Harm in Young Adulthood: the Role of Substance Use in Close Relationships and Individual Social Skills

CJ Greenwood; P Letcher; JA Macdonald; DM Hutchinson; GJ Youssef; JW Toumbourou; E Spry; A Sanson; J Cleary; CA Olsson

Journal article

Illicit Substance Use and Harm in Young Adulthood: the Role of Substance Use in Close Relationships and Individual Social Skills

CJ Greenwood, P Letcher, JA Macdonald, DM Hutchinson, GJ Youssef, JW Toumbourou, E Spry, A Sanson, J Cleary, CA Olsson

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction | SPRINGER | Published : 2025

DOI: 10.1007/s11469-023-01181-0

Abstract

To examine illicit substance use across young adulthood and explore the extent to which social skills moderate the relationship between use and harm. 1,404 (761 women) from the Australian Temperament Project (est. 1983) participated across young adulthood (age 19–20, 23–24, and 27–28 years). Measures included self-reported illicit substance use/harm and social skills (i.e., assertion, empathy, responsibility, and self-control). The number and type of illicit substances used changed across young adulthood. Greater illicit substance use was associated with peer (OR = 4.96) and partner use (OR = 3.60). Moderation analyses suggested the risk relationship between the number of illicit substances ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Jacqui MacDonald Author

Ann Sanson Author

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Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions Data collection for the ATP study was supported primarily through Australian grants from the Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital Research Foundation, National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, and the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Funding for this work was supported by grants from the Australian Research Council [DP130101459; DP160103160; DP180102447] and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia [APP1082406]. CAO was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council fellowship (Investigator grant APP1175086). DMH was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia [APP1197488].