Existence of a Functional Drug-Dependent User: Establishing Group Differences in a Drug-Specific Analysis

• In Event: Perspectives on Drug Use, Abuse, & Desistance

Abstract

Prior research in the drug field has verified the existence of functional alcoholics but does not look for the existence of functional drug-dependent individuals. Some literature, however, has qualitatively noted the existence of a “functional addict”, and a recent empirical study noted that there may indeed be two types of drug addicts. This study wishes to cement the existence of a functional drug-dependent user, and determine whether it varies by type of drug. For our analysis, we use pooled cross-sectional data from seven years of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Relying on measures from the DSM-IV to establish drug dependence, we perform descriptive t-tests on specific and separate drug-dependent groups by functionality to first determine the existence of a functional group and to also determine what factors may differentiate a functional drug-dependent user from a non-functional one.

Authors

• Wanda Staub, Florida State University

• Carrie Mier, Florida State University