Authoritarian parenting and ecstasy use among US youth

The present study examined ecstasy use among 12 to 17 year old youth (N = 17,399) across the United States. The NSDUH survey for ages 12-17 was administered to youth in their households. Results indicated that female youth, 16-17 year old youth and non-Caucasian youth were at highest risk for ecstasy use. Specifically, the majority of those who used ecstasy were Native American as opposed to other races and ethnicities. Findings also indicated that youth who experienced authoritarian parenting were more likely to use ecstasy as opposed to youth who experienced other parenting styles. These findings should be considered when developing programs to prevent ecstasy use among youth.