Abstract

Alcohol and drug use disorders are a major, global public health problem. Rates of use, abuse, and dependence are also high worldwide (Kessler et al., 2007). Approximately 8.9% of Americans aged 12 and older meet criteria for either substance abuse or dependence in the last year (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2010). In Finland, 14.2% of young adults meet criteria for a lifetime substance use disorder (Latvala et al., 2009). In Japan, approximately 10.2% of the adult population has a lifetime alcohol use disorder (Orui, Kawakami, Iwata, Takeshima, & Fukao, 2011). Individuals with alcohol and drug use disorders experience significant mental health problems such as depression and anxiety as well as a number of negative health-related consequences, including health problems (Bloss, 2005), interpersonal violence (Stuart, 2005; Thompson & Kingree, 2006), risky sexual behavior (Justus, Finn, & Steinmetz, 2000), driving while under the influence (Cherpitel & Ye, 2008), and suicide (Wilcox, Conner, & Caine, 2004).