Substance use
Who is most affected and why?
Key risk factors for substance use
The top 3 risk factors for developing substance use related harms later in life are:
- persistent, multiple factors of disadvantage - substance use is used as a coping mechanism in response to stress or pain
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) -. disrupting neurodevelopment, creating coping mechanisms like self-medication, fostering mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and increasing vulnerability to further trauma, because substances are used to escape distress, numb painful emotions, or as a form of self-harm, leading to a cyclical relationship where addiction can increase the likelihood of further trauma
- parental substance use - if a parent uses substances this creates a higher-risk environment where children may be more susceptible to developing their own substance use disorders
Other risk factors, and therefore inversely, protective factors, related to substance use, which can increase individuals' chance of experiencing health inequalities and poor health outcomes are:
- people who attend nightclubs and festivals
- domestic abuse
- sexually exploited or sexually assaulted
- involved in sex work
- homelessness
- LGBTQ+
- not in employment
- children and young people, looked after, and or carers
- children and young people in contact with young offenders but not in secure environments
- poor mental health
