Lovesick: Romantic relationships linked to opioid misuse among juveniles

Opioid misuse (OM) is a major public health problem that is more prevalent and devastating among correctional populations, especially justice-involved adolescents (JIA). Adolescence is a critical developmental period associated with the onset of romantic relationships, substance misuse and delinquency. Social bonding theory submits that quality relationships reduce delinquency. However, prior research has not yet examined the association between relationships and OM among JIA. Adopting social bonding theory, the current study investigates two hypotheses: (H1) JIA in romantic relationships will have a lower risk for misuse relative to those not in relationships, and (H2) JIA with prosocial partners will have a lower risk for OM than those with delinquent partners. Data on 79,960 JIA from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice were examined. OM was operationalized by past 30-day illicit or nonmedical misuse determined by urine analysis or self-disclosure. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were estimated while adjusting for covariates. Contrary to H1, relationships had higher risk for OM. Compared to JIA who were not in a romantic relationship, having a delinquent partner was associated with 2.48 higher odds of OM and having a prosocial partner was associated with 1.29 times higher odds. Intervention efforts that target youth may benefit from adopting peer models that promote prosocial relationships.