Substance use among young adults in multicultural communities : risk and resilience factors

• Main Author: Andrioti, Elena-Maria
• Published: Goldsmiths College (University of London) 2018
• Subjects: 150
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.745106

Impulsivity-related personality traits have been found to be related to increased substance use, while religiosity and spirituality have been shown to reduce substance use behaviours. This thesis aimed to study possible interactive effects of risk and resilience factors on young adult substance use behaviours in multicultural communities using samples from Western countries and the Middle East. A study of 245 UK university students found self-control to be significantly related to problematic alcohol and cannabis use. The study also identified sensation seeking and fun seeking as strong predictors of cannabis use. Some of these findings were replicated in a sample of 173 university students from Lebanon. The study found fun seeking to be significantly related to problematic alcohol use. A moderating effect of religiosity on the relationship between impulsivity and substance use behaviours was also identified. A study of 191 university students in the United Arab Emirates found urgency and lack of premeditation to be strongly related to problematic dokha use. This study also identified a moderating effect of religiosity on the relationship between impulsivity and alcohol consumption. Lastly, negative urgency was shown to be strongly related to shisha consumption in a study of 80 young adults residing in the United Arab Emirates. Religiosity was also shown to be a moderator of the relationship between impulsivity and shisha use. The cultural aspects of these findings was discussed in detail. The final study of the thesis considered how risk-taking behaviours can be associated with alcohol use among a group of young adults residing in the United Arab Emirates. These findings help to further understand cultural differences in substance use behaviours, and contribute to theoretical models of risk for substance use disorders worldwide.