Prescription Drug Misuse among African Americans and Afro Caribbeans: Results from the National Survey of American Life

Higher Prescription Tranquilizer Misuse Among Bisexual Individuals in the United States, 2021-2023

BACKGROUND

Prescription tranquilizer misuse poses negative health outcomes including respiratory distress and overdose. Given the higher prevalence of substance use by sexual minority individuals, assessing the prevalence and motives of prescription tranquilizer misuse in this group is a priority. This study examined prescription tranquilizer misuse by sexual identity using a US nationally representative dataset.

METHODS

We used the adult sample from the 2021-2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) (N = 139,524). The outcome was past-month prescription tranquilizer misuse, including benzodiazepines, muscle relaxants, or any other prescription tranquilizer, and the exposure was sexual identity (i.e., heterosexual/straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual). We conducted a binomial logistic regression model, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, past-month distress level, and other substance use. We calculated reasons for prescription tranquilizer misuse by sexual identity among adults with past-month prescription tranquilizer misuse.

RESULTS

Among total adult respondents (13.3% aged 18-25 years, 51.3% female, 12.1% non-Hispanic Black, 17.3% Hispanic), 2.6% identified themselves as gay/lesbian, 5.4% as bisexual, and 0.5% misused prescription tranquilizers in 2022 (representing 1,170,818 US adults). The adjusted model showed that bisexual individuals (vs. heterosexual) were more likely to misuse prescription tranquilizers (aPR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.41, 3.42). Bisexual individuals who misused prescription tranquilizers did so "for emotions" (48.2%) at a significantly higher prevalence than heterosexual (23.9%) and gay/lesbian individuals (23.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

We estimated ∼1.1 million US adults misused prescription tranquilizers in 2021-2023 and found that bisexual individuals were more likely to misuse prescription tranquilizers. Bisexual adults frequently reported "for emotions" as a reason for prescription tranquilizer misuse.

Family history of substance problems among African Americans: Associations with drug use, drug use disorder, and prescription drug misuse

A family history of substance problems is a well-known risk factor for substance use and use disorders; however, much of this research has been conducted in studies with predominantly White subjects. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between family history density of substance problems and drug use, risk for drug use disorder, and prescription drug misuse in a sample of African American adults. Results indicate that family history density of substance problems increased the risk for all drug outcomes in the full sample. However, when subgroup analyses by gender were conducted, family history was not a risk factor among men for prescription drug misuse.

Religious Involvement and DSM-IV Anxiety Disorders Among African-Americans

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationship between eight measures of religious involvement and five anxiety disorders among a nationally representative sample of African-Americans ( N = 3403). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition , World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess 12-month and lifetime prevalence for each disorder. Logistic regression indicated weekly service attendance was inversely associated with 12-month and lifetime panic disorder, lifetime agoraphobia, and 12-month and lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prayer was inversely associated with 12-month agoraphobia, 12-month social phobia, and lifetime PTSD. Listening to religious radio and looking to God for strength were also inversely related to, respectively, 12-month and lifetime panic disorder. Conversely, reading religious materials was positively associated with 12-month panic disorder, 12-month agoraphobia, lifetime PTSD, and lifetime generalized anxiety disorder. The results are discussed in light of conceptual models that specify multiple and sometimes divergent pathways through which religion impacts health, and suggestions for clinicians addressing anxiety disorders are delineated.

Examining the Relationship between Discrimination and Prescription Drug Misuse: Findings from a National Survey of Black Americans

Background: Research shows that substance use may be a way individuals cope with psychosocial stressors. Less is known about whether discrimination contributes to prescription drug misuse. Methods: Using a national sample of Black Americans, we examined whether two psychosocial stressors (i.e., everyday and lifetime major discrimination) were associated with lifetime prescription drug misuse (i.e., opioids, tranquilizers, sedatives, or stimulants). Results: Our logistic regression models separately examining the influence of everyday and major discrimination controlling for relevant demographic, health, and other drug use variables showed that only everyday discrimination was associated with higher odds of prescription drug misuse. In the model simultaneously considering both types of discrimination, only unit increases in everyday discrimination were associated with higher odds of prescription drug misuse. Conclusions: Encounters with everyday discrimination may be an important psychosocial stressor linked to prescription drug misuse in Black adults and possibly other racial-ethnic minorities. Intervention strategies aiming to reduce prescription drug misuse should consider developing ways to curb the negative health-related consequences of discriminatory experiences. Strategies to combat discrimination-related prescription drug misuse and limitations of this study are discussed.