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Exploring Definitions of “Addiction” in Adolescents and Young Adults and Correlation with Substance Use Behaviors

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  • S. Elisha LePine

    (Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
    Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA)

  • Elias M. Klemperer

    (Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
    Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA)

  • Julia C. West

    (Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
    Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA)

  • Catherine Peasley-Miklus

    (Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA)

  • Caitlin McCluskey

    (Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA)

  • Amanda Jones

    (Health Surveillance, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT 05402, USA)

  • Maria Roemhildt

    (Health Surveillance, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT 05402, USA)

  • Megan Trutor

    (Alcohol & Drug Abuse Programs, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT 05402, USA)

  • Rhonda Williams

    (Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT 05402, USA)

  • Andrea Villanti

    (Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
    Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
    Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies, Department of Health Behavior, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA)

Abstract

(1) Background: Young people engage in addictive behaviors, but little is known about how they understand addiction. The present study examined how young people describe addiction in their own words and correlations between their definitions and substance use behaviors. (2) Methods: Young adults ( n = 1146) in the PACE Vermont Study responded to an open-ended item “what does “addiction” mean?” in 2019. Responses were coded using three inductive categories and fifteen subcategories. Quantitative analyses examined correlations between addiction theme definitions, demographics, and substance use behaviors. (3) Participants frequently defined addiction by physiological (68%) and psychological changes (65%) and less by behavioral changes (6%), or all three (3%); young adults had higher odds of defining addiction as physiological or behavioral changes than adolescents. Participants who described addiction as “ psychological changes ” had lower odds of ever electronic vapor product use (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.57–1.00) than those using another definition, controlling for age and sex. (4) Perceptions of addiction in our sample aligned with existing validated measures of addiction. Findings discriminated between familiar features of addiction and features that may be overlooked by young adults. Substance users may employ definitions that exclude the symptoms they are most likely to experience.

Suggested Citation

  • S. Elisha LePine & Elias M. Klemperer & Julia C. West & Catherine Peasley-Miklus & Caitlin McCluskey & Amanda Jones & Maria Roemhildt & Megan Trutor & Rhonda Williams & Andrea Villanti, 2022. "Exploring Definitions of “Addiction” in Adolescents and Young Adults and Correlation with Substance Use Behaviors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-11, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:8075-:d:853283
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lilianna Phan & Andrea C. Villanti & Glenn Leshner & Theodore L. Wagener & Elise M. Stevens & Andrea C. Johnson & Darren Mays, 2020. "Development and Pretesting of Hookah Tobacco Public Education Messages for Young Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-14, November.
    2. Olivia A. Wackowski & Jennah M. Sontag & David Hammond & Richard J. O’Connor & Pamela A. Ohman-Strickland & Andrew A. Strasser & Andrea C. Villanti & Cristine D. Delnevo, 2019. "The Impact of E-Cigarette Warnings, Warning Themes and Inclusion of Relative Harm Statements on Young Adults’ E-Cigarette Perceptions and Use Intentions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-14, January.
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