Understanding inhalant abuse: an application of primary socialization theory

Abstract

Trend data suggest that the majority of inhalant use is concentrated among 12 to 14 year-old youth. However, research on the characteristics of inhalant users has been conducted almost entirely with older inhalant users in treatment or detention programs. Moreover, this research has lacked a guiding theoretical framework, resulting in a list of risk factors without obvious relation to one another. The present study addresses these shortcomings in two phases. The first phase replicates and extends past findings linking inhalant use to serious emotional, social, school, and family problems within a representative sample of 12-14 year-old students. The second phase integrates the risk and protective factors for inhalant use using primary socialization theory. Archival data from 12 to 14 year-old, White non-Hispanic youth (N = 12,905) were taken from a national school sample. Six drug use comparison groups were created based on self-reported drug use patterns: non/negligible drug users, experimental inhalant users, recreational inhalant users, heavy inhalant users, recreational drug users with no history of inhalant use, and heavy drug users with no history of inhalant use. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare the six groups on emotional distress, deviant attitudes, school adjustment, family relations, and peer drug involvement. Group differences on violence, criminal behavior, and victimization were also examined. Results corroborate past research linking inhalant use to serious psychosocial difficulties. Inhalant users reported more severe psychosocial problems and greater incidence of violence, criminal behavior, and victimization than other drug users. The second phase employed structural equation modeling to evaluate primary socialization theory as a model for understanding drug use among heavy inhalant heavy drug, recreational inhalant, and recreational drug users. Results support primary socialization theory as a satisfactory model of drug use for all groups. Drug using peers were identified as the biggest risk factor for drug use. Personal, family, and school effects were mediated by peer influences. Model comparisons suggest that primary socialization theory operated in the same manner to predict drug use for inhalant and other drug users. Results suggest comprehensive treatment and prevention programs that simultaneously address peer, family, and school influences on inhalant use.