Citation

Alexander AC, Waring JJC, Olurotimi O, Kurien J, Noble B, Businelle MS, Ra CK, Ehlke SJ, Boozary LK, Cohn AM, Kendzor DE. Stress Health 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/smi.3073

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The current study investigated whether stressful life events and everyday discrimination experiences were associated with using one or more substances in the past 30-days and substance use disorder (SUD) among adults experiencing homelessness. We obtained survey data from adults (N = 501) seeking services at a day shelter. Participants self-reported whether they used cigarettes, other tobacco products, cannabis, alcohol, opioids, amphetamine, and cocaine/crack in the past 30-days, and the total number of substances used were also calculated. We measured stressful life events and everyday discrimination using validated scales. We used multivariable logistic and negative binomial regression analyses to evaluate hypothesized associations.

RESULTS indicated that reporting a higher number of stressful life events was associated with past 30-day cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use, screening positive for a SUD, and using a greater number of substances in the past 30 days. After accounting for stressful life events, everyday discrimination was associated with only past 30-day cannabis use. Overall, we found that reporting stressful life events was related to current substance use and screening positive for a SUD.

FINDINGS suggest that life stressors, and discrimination to a lesser extent, were associated with substance use and SUD among adults experiencing homelessness. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

alcohol; cannabis; discrimination; homelessness; stressful life events; tobacco