Lack of Premeditation, Negative Urgency and Sensation Seeking Are Associated with Lifetime Use of Different Psychoactive Substances.

BACKGROUND

Impulsivity, anxiety and depression are factors that have previously been associated with the use of various drugs of abuse that have been investigated in isolation. However, little is known about the influence of these variables on the number of different substances tried at least once over a lifetime (i.e. polysubstance use).

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to assess how facets of trait impulsivity, anxiety and depression pose as risk factors for lifetime polysubstance use.

METHODS

Adult recreational drugs users (N = 700) completed an online survey, reporting each of the psychoactive substances they have consumed at least once. They further completed the Urgency/Premeditation/Perseverance/Sensation-seeking- Positive Urgency scale (UPPS-P) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS).

RESULTS

Negative-Binomial Regressions found that females (Incidence Rates Ratios = 0.79, p < .001) reported a lower total number of drugs used. After controlling for age and sex, the UPPS-P subscales Lack of Premeditation (IRR = 1.02, p < .001), Negative Urgency (IRR = 1.02, p = .001) and Sensation seeking (IRR = 1.01, p = .008) were positively associated with a greater number of different substances used.

CONCLUSIONS

Exploring risk factors for polysubstance use may provide a better understanding of the factors which confer a vulnerability towards problematic / harmful substance use. .