ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence2014
Prescription drug misuse among homeless youth.
Article in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- The global prevalence of mental health disorders among runaway and homeless youth: A meta-analysis.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Substance Misuse Prevalence and Risk Factors in Adolescents and Young Adults With Depression.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Couch-Surfing and HIV Risk Behavior Among Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Suicide, Psychoactive Substances, and Homelessness: A Scoping Review.Brain sciences · 2025Review
- Prescription Pain Medication Misuse with and Without Heroin Use Among Adolescents: relationships with Routine Healthcare, Family Support, Academic Performance, Violence, and Other Risky Behaviors.Substance use & misuse · 2025Article
- Examining the Role of Duration and Frequency of Homelessness on Health Outcomes Among Unsheltered Young Adults.The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 2023Article
- Lessons learned from housing first, rapid rehousing trials with youth experiencing homelessness.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2023Review
- Risk Behaviors and Experiences Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness-Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 23 U.S. States and 11 Local School Districts, 2019.Journal of community health · 2022Article
- Runaway History and Past 30-Day Opioid Misuse in Justice-Involved Adolescents.Juvenile & family court journal · 2021Article
- Housing, opportunities, motivation and engagement (HOME) for homeless youth at-risk for opioid use disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2021Article
- Medical Comorbidities and Medication Use Among Homeless Adults Seeking Mental Health Treatment.Community mental health journal · 2020Article
- Prescription opioid misuse among adolescents and emerging adults in the United States: A scoping review.Preventive medicine · 2020Article
- Appalachian Women's Use of Substance Abuse Treatment: Examining the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations.Journal of social work practice in the addictions · 2018Article
- Descriptive and injunctive network norms associated with nonmedical use of prescription drugs among homeless youth.Addictive behaviors · 2017Article
- Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs and Sexual Risk Behaviors.Pediatrics · 2016Article
- Prescription Drug Misuse and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Young Men Who have Sex with Men (YMSM) in Philadelphia.AIDS and behavior · 2015Article
- Pet ownership among homeless youth: associations with mental health, service utilization and housing status.Child psychiatry and human development · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPrescription drug misuse (PDM) is highly prevalent among youth in the U.S., and can have serious health consequences. Homeless youth are a particularly vulnerable population with high rates of substance use. However, PDM has not been studied in a sample comprised exclusively of homeless youth.
methodsA sample of 451 homeless youth recruited from drop-in centers in Los Angeles, CA, provided information on substance use, mental health, service utilization, trauma, and sexual risk behavior. Multivariable logistic regression assessed correlates of past month PDM.
resultsNearly 50% reported lifetime PDM and 21.6% reported PDM in the past month. The most frequently used prescriptions in the past month were: opioids only (24.5%), sedatives only (23.4%), and stimulants only (10.6%); 14.9% used some combination of these three types of prescription medications. Homeless youth reported that prescriptions were most commonly obtained for free from friends or relatives (24.5%). Foster care involvement was associated with decreased PDM, while hard drug use, suicidal ideation, and unprotected sex were associated with increased PDM.
conclusionsHomeless youth report high rates of PDM, and access these medications most frequently from friends and family. PDM among homeless youth clusters with other risk factors, including hard drug use, unprotected sex, and suicidal ideation. Surprisingly, foster care history was associated with decreased PDM. Programs aimed at preventing PDM among homeless youth should recognize the clustering of risk behaviors, assess prescription use/access when providing mental health services, and educate the general public about proper disposal of prescriptions.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.