Online report 04/07 - Risk, protective factors and resilience to drug use: identifying resilient young people and learning from their experiences

This report presents the findings from a study commissioned by the Home Office which explored both the risk and protective factors that might influence young peoples’ decisions about using drugs, as well as the nature of resilience to drug use amongst this groups. The study involved in-depth interviews with a group of young people who were identified as being resilient to drug use, i.e. they were identified from their responses to the Offending Crime & Justice Suirvey as being at risk of drug use but reported that they had not done so.

The report shows there are relatively well established associations between several risk and protective factors and problematic drug use among young people but these associations are not necessarily causal. These risk factors may be used to identify vulnerable groups so that drug prevention programmes can be targeted at these groups who are at an increased risk of drug use.

Resilience to drug use results from a complex interplay of factors which can be conceptualised as three inter-related thinking styles and behaviours:

• the view that ‘drugs are not for me’;
• drugs are incompatible with personal goals; and
• interpersonal skills and ability to resist.

Resilience may be context and time dependant; thus individuals may respond differently to the same situations and experience. As such, all of the factors facilitating resilience should be considered when working with individuals.