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Typologies of alcohol and other drug-related risk among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans) and queer adults
Norman, Thomas Bourne, Adam Amos, Natalie Power, Jennifer Anderson, Joel Lim, Gene Carman, Marina Meléndez-Torres, G. J.
Norman, Thomas
Bourne, Adam
Amos, Natalie
Power, Jennifer
Anderson, Joel
Lim, Gene
Carman, Marina
Meléndez-Torres, G. J.
Abstract
Introduction
Prevalence and patterns of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among specific lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans) and queer (LGBTQ+) subpopulations are well established. However, patterns of substance-related risk have been less thoroughly explored. This study aimed to determine typologies AOD risk among LGBTQ+ adults in Australia.
Method
Latent class analyses were performed to determine distinct patterns of AOD risk (n = 6835), as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Drug Abuse Screening Tool. Demographic characteristics, experience of harassment, assault and/or threats, mental wellbeing and LGBTQ+ connectedness were compared across emergent classes.
Results
AOD risk was characterised as ‘no risk’ (13.3% of sample), ‘low risk’ (15.1%), ‘moderate risk’ (alcohol + other drugs; 30.1%), or ‘moderate alcohol only risk’ (41.5%). The ‘moderate risk’ class was the most likely class to report recent sexual assault, verbal abuse, harassment and physical threats compared to other classes, while those in the ‘moderate alcohol only risk’ group were least likely to report these experiences of all classes. However, both the ‘moderate risk’ and ‘moderate alcohol risk only’ classes reported greater mental wellbeing and LGBTQ+ connectedness compared to the ‘no risk’ and ‘low risk’ classes.
Discussion and Conclusions
Our findings indicate that level of AOD risk is not uniform among some LGBTQ+ adults, nor is the distribution of harms experienced by them. Tailored harm-reduction interventions may be fruitful in attenuating harms based on risk profile; most specifically, LGBTQ+ individuals engaging in moderately risky concurrent AOD use.
Keywords
recreational drug use, risk, sexual and gender minorities
Date
2024
Type
Journal article
Journal
Drug and Alcohol Review
Book
Volume
43
Issue
2
Page Range
551-561
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open
Notes
© 2024 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided
the original work is properly cited.