IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v143y2015icp36-44.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unemployment and substance use problems among young adults: Does childhood low socioeconomic status exacerbate the effect?

Author

Listed:
  • Lee, Jungeun Olivia
  • Hill, Karl G.
  • Hartigan, Lacey A.
  • Boden, Joseph M.
  • Guttmannova, Katarina
  • Kosterman, Rick
  • Bailey, Jennifer A.
  • Catalano, Richard F.

Abstract

The current study tested whether unemployment predicted young adults' heavy episodic drinking, cigarette smoking, and cannabis use after taking into account individual development in substance use. Furthermore, building on the life course perspective, this study examined whether the link between unemployment and substance use among young adults differed for those who experienced low childhood SES compared to those who did not. Data for the present study came from the Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP), a panel study examining a broad range of developmental outcomes from ages 10 to 33. A life history calendar (LHC) was administered to assess substance use and unemployment status during young adulthood. Covariates included baseline symptoms of psychopathology, baseline substance use, gender, ethnicity, and adult educational attainment. Results suggest that unemployment is associated with young adults' heavy episodic drinking and possibly cigarette use, but not cannabis use. Moreover, for all three substances, the detrimental impact of unemployment on substance use seems to be exacerbated among young adults who spent their childhood and adolescence in a lower SES household. Public health efforts that provide other viable and affordable options to cope with unemployment among young adults from low SES backgrounds are needed to address this disproportionate concentration of adverse impacts of unemployment on behavioral health.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Jungeun Olivia & Hill, Karl G. & Hartigan, Lacey A. & Boden, Joseph M. & Guttmannova, Katarina & Kosterman, Rick & Bailey, Jennifer A. & Catalano, Richard F., 2015. "Unemployment and substance use problems among young adults: Does childhood low socioeconomic status exacerbate the effect?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 36-44.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:143:y:2015:i:c:p:36-44
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.016
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795361530068X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.016?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gallet, Craig A., 2007. "The demand for alcohol: a meta-analysis of elasticities," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 51(2), pages 1-15.
    2. Sophia Rabe-Hesketh & Anders Skrondal, 2012. "Multilevel and Longitudinal Modeling Using Stata, 3rd Edition," Stata Press books, StataCorp LP, edition 3, number mimus2, March.
    3. Fergusson, David M. & John Horwood, L. & Woodward, Lianne J., 2001. "Unemployment and psychosocial adjustment in young adults: causation or selection?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 305-320, August.
    4. Hyland, A. & Higbee, C. & Li, Q. & Bauer, J.E. & Giovino, G.A. & Alford, T. & Cummings, K.M., 2005. "Access to low-taxed cigarettes deters smoking cessation attempts," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(6), pages 994-995.
    5. Mossakowski, Krysia N., 2008. "Is the duration of poverty and unemployment a risk factor for heavy drinking?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 947-955, September.
    6. Ross, Catherine E. & Mirowsky, John, 2011. "The interaction of personal and parental education on health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(4), pages 591-599, February.
    7. Ettner, Susan L., 1997. "Measuring the human cost of a weak economy: Does unemployment lead to alcohol abuse?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 251-260, January.
    8. de Visser, Richard O. & Smith, Jonathan A., 2007. "Young men's ambivalence toward alcohol," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 350-362, January.
    9. Merline, A.C. & O'Malley, P.M. & Schulenberg, J.E. & Bachman, J.G. & Johnston, L.D., 2004. "Substance Use among Adults 35 Years of Age: Prevalence, Adulthood Predictors, and Impact of Adolescent Substance Use," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(1), pages 96-102.
    10. Arcaya, Mariana & Glymour, M. Maria & Christakis, Nicholas A. & Kawachi, Ichiro & Subramanian, S.V., 2014. "Individual and spousal unemployment as predictors of smoking and drinking behavior," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 89-95.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Andrabi, Nafeesa & Khoddam, Rubin & Leventhal, Adam M., 2017. "Socioeconomic disparities in adolescent substance use: Role of enjoyable alternative substance-free activities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 175-182.
    2. Boslett, Andrew & Hill, Elaine, 2022. "Mortality during resource booms and busts," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    3. Shahida Anusha Siddiqui & Prachi Singh & Sipper Khan & Ito Fernando & Igor Spartakovich Baklanov & Tigran Garrievich Ambartsumov & Salam A. Ibrahim, 2022. "Cultural, Social and Psychological Factors of the Conservative Consumer towards Legal Cannabis Use—A Review since 2013," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-22, September.
    4. Boden, Joseph M. & Lee, Jungeun Olivia & Horwood, L. John & Grest, Carolina Villamil & McLeod, Geraldine F.H., 2017. "Modelling possible causality in the associations between unemployment, cannabis use, and alcohol misuse," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 127-134.
    5. Bijlsma, Maarten J. & Tarkiainen, Lasse & Myrskylä, Mikko & Martikainen, Pekka, 2017. "Unemployment and subsequent depression: A mediation analysis using the parametric G-formula," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 142-150.
    6. Jeong, Soyun & Fox, Ashley M., 2023. "Enhanced unemployment benefits, mental health, and substance use among low-income households during the COVID-19 pandemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 328(C).
    7. Michael Anastario & Olivia Ceavers & Paula Firemoon & Nezahualcoyotl Xiuhtecutli & Ana Maria Rodriguez, 2022. "Retrospective Assessment of Human–Chemical Interactions in Health-Disparity Populations: A Process Evaluation of Life History Calendars," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-14, September.
    8. Bijlsma, Maarten & Tarkiainen, Lasse & Myrskylä, Mikko & Martikainen, Pekka, 2017. "Unemployment and subsequent depression: A mediation analysis using the parametric G-formula," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 85335, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Latif, Ehsan, 2014. "The impact of recession on drinking and smoking behaviours in Canada," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 43-56.
    2. Kaiser, Micha & Reutter, Mirjam & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso & Strohmaier, Kristina, 2017. "Smoking and the Business Cycle: Evidence from Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 10953, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Ioana Popovici & Michael T. French, 2013. "Does Unemployment Lead to Greater Alcohol Consumption?," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 444-466, April.
    4. Tapio Paljärvi & Pekka Martikainen & Tiina Pensola & Taina Leinonen & Kimmo Herttua & Pia Mäkelä, 2015. "Life Course Trajectories of Labour Market Participation among Young Adults Who Experienced Severe Alcohol-Related Health Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(5), pages 1-14, May.
    5. Lantis, Robert & Teahan, Brittany, 2018. "The effect of unemployment insurance on alcohol use and abuse following job loss," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 92-103.
    6. Kaiser, Micha & Reutter, Mirjam & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso & Strohmaier, Kristina, 2018. "Smoking and local unemployment: Evidence from Germany," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 138-147.
    7. Jakub Čihák, 2020. "The effect of economic conditions on alcohol consumption," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 67(4), pages 481-497, December.
    8. Roelfs, David J. & Shor, Eran & Davidson, Karina W. & Schwartz, Joseph E., 2011. "Losing life and livelihood: A systematic review and meta-analysis of unemployment and all-cause mortality," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(6), pages 840-854, March.
    9. Mossakowski, Krysia N., 2008. "Is the duration of poverty and unemployment a risk factor for heavy drinking?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 947-955, September.
    10. Jakub Čihák, 0. "The effect of economic conditions on alcohol consumption," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 0, pages 1-17.
    11. Marina Bosque-Prous & Albert Espelt & Luis Sordo & Anna M Guitart & M Teresa Brugal & Maria J Bravo, 2015. "Job Loss, Unemployment and the Incidence of Hazardous Drinking during the Late 2000s Recession in Europe among Adults Aged 50–64 Years," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(10), pages 1-13, October.
    12. Veenstra, Gerry & Vanzella-Yang, Adam, 2022. "Interactions between parental and personal socioeconomic resources and self-rated health: Adjudicating between the resource substitution and resource multiplication theories," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    13. Karel Janda & Zuzana Lajksnerová & Jakub Mikolášek, 2019. "A General Equilibrium Model of Optimal Alcohol Taxation in the Czech Republic," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2019(5), pages 589-611.
    14. Daniel Demant & Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios & Julie-Anne Carroll & Jason A. Ferris & Larissa Maier & Monica J. Barratt & Adam R. Winstock, 2018. "Do people with intersecting identities report more high-risk alcohol use and lifetime substance use?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(5), pages 621-630, June.
    15. Nils Grashof, 2020. "Sinking or swimming in the cluster labour pool? A firm-specific analysis of the effect of specialized labour," Jena Economics Research Papers 2020-006, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    16. Anderson, Kym, 2020. "Consumer Taxes on Alcohol: An International Comparison over Time," Journal of Wine Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(1), pages 42-70, February.
    17. Arpino, Bruno & Varriale, Roberta, 2009. "Assessing the quality of institutions’ rankings obtained through multilevel linear regression models," MPRA Paper 19873, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Miranda J. Welbourne Eleazar, 2022. "Immoral Entrenchment: How Crisis Reverses the Ethical Effects of Moral Intensity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 71-89, September.
    19. Barrie M. Craven & Michael L. Marlow & Alden F. Shiers, 2013. "The Economics of Minimum Pricing for Alcohol," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 174-189, June.
    20. Henry Saffer & Dhaval Dave & Michael Grossman, 2012. "Behavioral Economics and the Demand for Alcohol: Results from the NLSY97," NBER Working Papers 18180, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:143:y:2015:i:c:p:36-44. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.