Underage Drinking Diversion: Characterizing Severity With Latent Class Analysis

Substance misuse among young adults is associated with serious safety and risk factors that can lead to harmful consequences. Little is known about the heterogeneity among emerging adults (EAs) entering substance-abuse-focused diversion programs and the impact of characteristics on clinical decision making. In consideration of the developmental period of emerging adulthood, this study used latent class analysis and path modeling to determine participant characteristics underlying severity and relationships with recidivism. The more severe class of EAs was associated with poor treatment outcomes and recidivism. Higher education served as a protective factor. Ultimately, there is a need to tailor diversion programs for different groups of substance-using EAs.