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Cannabis Use Among High‐Risk Youth in I srael (2004–2011): An Examination of Gender and Country of Origin Status
Author(s) -
Isralowitz Richard,
Reznik Alexander
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.331
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1744-6171
pISSN - 1073-6077
DOI - 10.1111/jcap.12059
Subject(s) - cannabis , hashish , substance abuse , psychiatry , cannabis dependence , medicine , substance use , psychology , clinical psychology , demography , cannabidiol , sociology
Problem Scant knowledge exists about high‐risk adolescents who are school dropouts in treatment for substance abuse. Purpose This study aims to examine the patterns of cannabis (i.e., marijuana and hashish) use among school dropouts receiving substance abuse treatment based on their gender and country of origin status (i.e., I sraeli and former S oviet U nion— FSU ). Methods A total of 628 dropouts referred to a residential substance abuse treatment facility in I srael from 2004 to 2011 were studied. Chi‐square and t test analyses were used to determine the impact of gender and country of origin status on cannabis use. Findings Significant differences exist for age of first, lifetime, and last 30‐day cannabis use. FSU youths begin cannabis at an earlier age. Cannabis use tends to be higher among males and those with Israeli country of origin status. Furthermore, cannabis use among dropouts is much higher than those attending school. Conclusions Gender and country of origin status have implications that should be of concern to healthcare professionals treating adolescent substance abuse. Further research is needed to validate the study findings both in I srael and other countries for policy, training, and treatment purposes.