What is a significant risk factor for developing a substance use disorder?

The family history of substance use disorders is a significant risk factor for developing such disorders because genetic and environmental influences can play a major role in an individual's vulnerability to addiction. A family history indicates a potential inherited predisposition that can affect brain chemistry and behavioral responses to substances. Individuals with a family background of substance use may also acquire learned behaviors and normalized attitudes towards drug use, further increasing their risk.

While current employment status, age, gender, and geographical location can certainly influence substance use behaviors and outcomes, they do not have the same strong, direct correlation with the development of substance use disorders as family history does. These other factors may contribute to risk or exacerbate existing conditions, but they lack the genetic and familial context that makes family history a more prominent risk factor.