A characterization of substance use and its association with other psychological variables

Abstract

In Mexico, ENCODE and ENA (now ENCODAT) analyze the prevalence of substance use at a national level, taking into consideration demographic data. A person who uses alcohol or other drugs is affected in different areas of his or her life, including physical, social and mental health.
This work was aimed to analyze the relationship between substance use and some psychological and sociodemographic variables of interest. METHOD: 226 people aged 18 to 57 years old participated (M=22.93, SD=7.50), 146 were women, who were given a battery of tests that included the measurement of Substance Consumption, Antisocial Behaviors, Sexual Risk Taking, Affection and Satisfaction with Life. RESULTS: There is a high relationship among substance use and Antisocial Behaviors, Sexual Risk Taking, and Negative Affection, while the relationship with Life Satisfaction is low. Significant differences were found among groups made up of socio-demographic variables. DISCUSSION: Substance use can alter behavior1 and well-being2 of the individual. The findings in this paper allow health professionals to identify areas where they can work to improve the quality of life for people who use psychoactive substances.