A new study has found a link between drug and alcohol use among adolescents and their mental health symptoms, even at low levels of substance use. The research, led by Dr. Tervo-Clemmens, found that adolescents with low levels of substance use may be self-medicating, and their modest substance use may not be causing their underlying mental health challenges. However, the research also found that frequent and intensive users of substances experienced more severe mental health symptoms, possibly worsening their symptoms while using substances to self-medicate.
The study, which used two data sets from 15,600 Massachusetts high school students and 17,000 respondents to the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, found a significant, moderate dose-dependent association between alcohol, cannabis, nicotine use, and worse psychiatric symptoms, including suicidal thoughts.
One key finding was that the link was present between multiple symptoms and between multiple substances, suggesting that the substance used did not matter. Today’s adolescents are experiencing more mental health symptoms but are using drugs and alcohol less compared to prior generations. Binge-drinking and cigarette smoking, in particular, have fallen sharply. These trends may support the idea that asking teenagers about substance use could be a way to screen for mental health challenges, as the group of regular substance users is smaller than it once was and may be more closely linked to individuals who are self-medicating or dealing with mental health challenges. The study’s findings may have significant implications for understanding and addressing mental health challenges among adolescents.
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