Will You Tell? Factors Influencing Peer Reporting of Illicit Substance Use: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

Reporting of peers who abuse illicit substances has potential benefits for early intervention. The study focused on factors affecting peers' reporting of illicit drug use to others. We adopted a mixed-methods study design. We interviewed 57 students attending a community youth mentorship centre. A hypothetical scenario was presented to elicit responses to a yes-or-no option. Appropriate bivariate analyses were used for descriptive statistics. We used R programming to perform LASSO regression to identify significant predictors of peer disclosure. A larger proportion of respondents opted not to report (56%, n = 32). Females had a higher rate of reporting compared to males (68% vs 32%). Other socio-variables such as family history of substance use and history of use were not significantly associated with the tendency to report. The major reasons for non-reporting were the fear of potential consequences and the fear of hurting the feelings of the peer. The mother was most favoured for reporting. The significant predictor of reporting of substance use to others was related to the perception of closeness of the relationship to the peer (Estimate = 1.32, 95%Cl = 0.04, 2.73). There is a need to encourage massive public enlightenment and educational programmes on peer reporting among adolescents and young adults who take illicit substances.