NEW YORK, Jan 31 — The mental health of adolescents and young adults is considered a major global concern, as is their use of alcohol and drugs. This prompted US researchers to investigate whether the use of some psychoactive substances could potentially increase their mental distress. And their conclusions are unequivocal, since the scientists report that high school students who use cannabis, alcohol or nicotine are more likely to suffer from mental health disorders, ranging from inattention to suicidal thoughts.
Nearly a billion people worldwide were living with at least one mental disorder in 2019, including 14 per cent of the world’s adolescents, according to data shared by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This worrying situation has worsened with the Covid-19 pandemic, although it is still difficult to put a precise figure on its consequences. At the same time, the global health authority points out that alcohol and drug consumption among teenagers is also a cause for concern, with no fewer than 155 million young people aged 15 to 19 currently drinking alcohol. “Alcohol and drug use in children and adolescents is associated with neurocognitive alterations which can lead to behavioral, emotional, social and academic problems in later life,” said the WHO in April 2023.
Increased prevalence of suicidal thoughts
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Faced with increasing mental health issues in this section of the population, a team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Minnesota, USA, investigated the potential association between the use of common psychoactive substances, such as alcohol, cannabis and nicotine, and psychiatric symptoms in high school students. They analysed the results of a survey of 15,626 high school students with an average age of nearly 16, all attending schools in Massachusetts.
“We sought to determine whether substance use was dose-dependently associated with various psychiatric symptoms in a large sample of high school students, and whether these associations differed depending on the type of substance used,” said senior author Randi M. Schuster, PhD, an associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at MGH, quoted in a news release. The research reveals that alcohol use, cannabis use and nicotine use were each associated with an increased prevalence of suicidal thoughts, as well as other mental health disorders.
Focus on screening and prevention
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Published in the journal, JAMA Paediatrics, the study findings suggest that the use of these substances was also associated with an increased risk of symptoms of depression and anxiety, psychotic experiences, and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. In detail, the researchers note that daily and near-daily use of these substances was associated with more frequent suicidal thoughts (about five times more) than no use at all.
“Our study’s results highlight the prevalence of psychiatric co-morbidities among young people who use substances, and they lend strong support for the notion that screening, prevention, intervention and policy efforts need to comprehensively address targets beyond substance use alone,” says lead author Brenden Tervo-Clemmens, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School. “Also, these efforts may not need to necessarily be specific to a given substance, but rather reflect the multifaceted mental health needs of all adolescents who use substances.”
These findings — which also show an increase in psychiatric symptoms among high-school students who consume relatively low levels of alcohol, cannabis or nicotine — will soon be supplemented by more specific information on the exact relationship between substance use and mental disorders. — ETX Studio
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