An Epidemiological Study of Substance Use Disorders Among Emerging and Young Adults

Objectives:We investigated the prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) among emerging adults and quantified the extent to which emerging adults, compared with young adults, have increased odds for SUDs.Methods:Data were from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey–Mental Health (CCHS-MH). Respondents were 15 to 39 y of age (n = 9228) and were categorized as: early emerging adults (15 to 22 y); late emerging adults (23 to 29 y); and, young adults (30 to 39 y). SUDs [alcohol or drug abuse/dependence (AAD or DAD)] were measured using the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0. The prevalence of SUDs was compared across age groups, and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed from logistic regression models adjusting for sociodemographic and health covariates. Analyses were weighted to maintain representativeness to the Canadian population.Results:The prevalence of AAD was 8.0%, 6.6%, and 2.7% for early emerging adults, late emerging adults, and young adults, respe...