In a new study from the University of Michigan, researchers found nearly half of people reported misusing prescription drugs between ages 18-50, which made them more likely to develop substance use disorder symptoms––especially those whose misuse peaked later in life.
They recommend screening for prescription drug misuse and substance use disorder from adolescence through middle adulthood.
Currently, the recommendation is to screen adults for unhealthy drug use in some instances, but not adolescents.
The study is the first known to examine prescription drug misuse over a 32-year period.
It focuses on opioids, stimulants, and sedatives/tranquilizers, which are among the most misused prescription drugs.
They’re most often misused during young adulthood but in recent years, prescription drug misuse has increased among older adults.
In the study, the team used data from 11 groups (26,575) of adolescents ages 18-50 who participated in the Monitoring the Future study.
They identified unique prescription drug misuse trajectories associated with each drug class and found that the risk for developing substance use disorder symptoms (cannabis, alcohol, opioids, stimulants, or other drugs) between ages 35-50, varied considerably across these trajectories.
They found that almost every individual (94%) in the group that misused prescription drugs frequently for a sustained period, and 70% of those in the trajectories that peaked in middle adulthood, had two or more substance use disorder symptoms between ages 35-50
By contrast, only 26% of people in the trajectory that didn’t misuse prescription drugs frequently had two or more substance use disorder symptoms between ages 35-50.
Binge drinking, cigarette smoking, and marijuana use were all linked to increased odds of belonging to a prescription drug misuse trajectory group.
The team says the findings add to growing evidence that prescription drug misuse at any age, including adolescence, is a strong signal for substance-related problems.
They suggest that screening during adolescence can identify high-risk individuals before they develop more severe substance-related problems.
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The study is published in JAMA Network Open and was conducted by Sean Esteban McCabe et al.
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