An examination of information-processing skills among inhalant-using adolescents.

Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Texas at San Antonio, UT Health Science Center, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78284, USA.

Child: care, health and development 2012 May

filter terms:

This study investigates the association between inhalant use and information processing (IP) in adjudicated polysubstance users. Polysubstance users who used inhalants (n= 158) were compared with polysubstance users who did not use inhalants (n= 303). Hispanic Americans comprised 72% of the participants; European Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans comprised 28% of the participants. Standardized intelligence and achievement tests were used to assess information-processing constructs of working memory and processing speed. Psychosocial and substance abuse standardized surveys were used to assess drug use severity and psychosocial problems associated with substance use. Polysubstance users who used inhalants (PSI users) were younger, used more drugs more frequently and had more psychiatric admissions than non-inhalant polysubstance users (PSO users). Statistical analysis also shows that PSI users performed worse on measures of IP selected tests in comparison with the PSO users. Inhalant users begin abusing substances at a younger age and suffer from more verbal and non-verbal processing, behavioural, language and memory problems than non-inhalant users. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Citation

K D Scott, A A Scott. An examination of information-processing skills among inhalant-using adolescents. Child: care, health and development. 2012 May;38(3):412-9