Etiological processes, developmental dynamics and consequences of drug use disorders: a national study

Drug use disorders (DUDs) may lead to severe medical and social consequencesin all population groups. The present proposal will: quantify positive and negative effects of multiple risk factors at the individual, family, peer and neighbourhood level; differentiate confounders from mediators and identify effect modifiers; investigate causal effects; examine the developmental dynamics of DUDs; identify sex-specific chains of risks, consequences, and desistance; determine rates of DUDs in migrant groups; and describe the heterogeneity of DUDs. We intend to use complex analytic methods, such as structural equation modelling, on some of the largest and most comprehensive nationwide population data sources in the world. Our international research team includes world-renowned psychiatrists and epidemiologists, skilled statisticians, and clinical interventionists that will continue their long-term collaboration during the coming four years in order to construct the comprehensive datasets, perform the complex analyses and write manuscripts that we plan to submit to high-rank journals. Our multifaceted approach will provide critical information for the development of appropriate preventive measures and social and medical interventions at multiple levels in both women and men and in first- and second-generation immigrants. We therefore expect that our findings will be relevant not only for Sweden but also generalizable to most other countries in the world.