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Alcohol and cannabis abuse/dependence symptoms and life satisfaction in young adulthood
Author(s) -
SWAIN NICOLA R.,
GIBB SHEREE J.,
HORWOOD L. JOHN,
FERGUSSON DAVID M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1111/j.1465-3362.2011.00339.x
Subject(s) - cannabis , confounding , life satisfaction , cannabis dependence , psychiatry , substance abuse , alcohol dependence , psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , alcohol abuse , life course approach , alcohol , developmental psychology , social psychology , biochemistry , chemistry , cannabidiol
Abstract Introduction and Aims. To examine the associations between substance abuse/dependence symptoms and life satisfaction, before and after adjustment for fixed and time‐dynamic sources of confounding. Design and Methods. Data were drawn from a 30 year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 987 individuals. Associations between alcohol abuse/dependence symptoms, cannabis abuse/dependence symptoms and life satisfaction were examined using repeated measures regression models. Associations were adjusted for fixed and time‐dynamic sources of confounding, including family background, personality, demographics, recent life events, current employment and recent mental illness. Results. There were significant associations between alcohol abuse/dependence and life satisfaction ( P < 0.0001) and between cannabis abuse/dependence and life satisfaction ( P < 0.0001). These significant associations remained after adjustment for fixed sources of confounding. However, adjusting for time‐dynamic sources of confounding substantially reduced the associations. After adjustment for time‐dynamic sources of confounding there were no significant associations between alcohol abuse/dependence and life satisfaction ( P > 0.17) or cannabis abuse/dependence and life satisfaction ( P > 0.25). Discussion and Conclusions. These findings suggest that associations between life substance abuse/dependence and life satisfaction can be explained by time‐dynamic factors, such as employment, life events and comorbid mental illness that are associated with reduced life satisfaction. When due allowance is made for confounding, alcohol and cannabis abuse/dependence are not associated with reduced life satisfaction . [Swain NR, Gibb SJ, Horwood LJ, Fergusson DM. Alcohol and cannabis abuse/dependence symptoms and life satisfaction in young adulthood. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:327–333]