title: Permissive Attitude Towards Drug Use, Life Satisfaction, and Continuous Drug Use Among Psychoactive Drug Users in Hong Kong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of a permissive attitude towards regular and occasional drug use, life satisfaction, self-esteem, depression, and other psychosocial variables in the drug use of psychoactive drug users. Psychosocial factors that might affect a permissive attitude towards regular / occasional drug use and life satisfaction were further explored.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed data of a sample of psychoactive drug users from a longitudinal survey of psychoactive drug abusers in Hong Kong who were interviewed at 6 time points at 6-month intervals between January 2009 and December 2011. Data of the second to the sixth time points were stacked into an individual time point structure. Random-effects probit regression analysis was performed to estimate the relative contribution of the independent variables to the binary dependent variable of drug use in the last 30 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A permissive attitude towards drug use, life satisfaction, and depression at the concurrent time point, and self-esteem at the previous time point had direct effects on drug use in the last 30 days. Interestingly, permissiveness to occasional drug use was a stronger predictor of drug use than permissiveness to regular drug use. These 2 permissive attitude variables were affected by the belief that doing extreme things shows the vitality of young people (at concurrent time point), life satisfaction (at concurrent time point), and self-esteem (at concurrent and previous time points). Life satisfaction was affected by sense of uncertainty about the future (at concurrent time point), self-esteem (at concurrent time point), depression (at both concurrent and previous time points), and being stricken by stressful events (at previous time point).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A number of psychosocial factors could affect the continuation or discontinuation of drug use, as well as the permissive attitude towards regular and occasional drug use, and life satisfaction. Implications of the findings for prevention and intervention work targeted at psychoactive drug users are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
authors.forename: N Wt
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D012649:Self Concept; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Hong Kong; Permissiveness; Personal satisfaction; Psychotropic drugs