New Study: Teen Cannabis, Alcohol, Nicotine Use Linked to Mental Health Distress

Teens who use cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine are more likely to have underlying psychiatric symptoms – and worse symptoms – than their peers, according to a new study reported in The New York Times. The study authors also found that some teens may be using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate, even as those substances make their symptoms worse.

The use of these substances was linked to anxiety, depression, ADHD, and suicidal thoughts, according to the research findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics. The links were so substantial that researchers concluded that asking teens about their substance use may provide a powerful tool for uncovering underlying mental health issues.

“Universally screening for psychiatric symptoms in the context of all types of substance use is what we think might be most important,” said the lead study author Brenden Tervo-Clemmens, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota.

Key findings

Dr. Tervo-Clemmens added that no matter what substance was used, mental health symptoms of all kinds – from depression to ADHD to suicidal thoughts – were made worse.

The link between using substances and mental health issues existed at any level of drug or alcohol use.

Using drugs to self-medicate

Dr. Tervo-Clemmens said that teens using substances may be self-medicating. He suspected that for adolescents using them infrequently, their low levels of use were likely not causing the mental health challenges they were experiencing.

But teens who were using substances more frequently and at higher levels experienced the most severe mental health symptoms, the research found. Dr. Tervo-Clemmens noted that the substances these teens were using to self-medicate may be making their symptoms worse.

Daily or near-daily substance use – rather than weekly or monthly use – was linked to a moderate increase in mental health symptoms. Researchers called the link “dose-dependent”: the more kids used, the more intense their symptoms became.

The data

The research drew from two large, separate data sets, each involving over 15,000 teens.

In both groups of youth, “alcohol, cannabis and nicotine use each had significant, moderate dose-dependent associations with worse psychiatric symptoms, including suicidal thoughts.”

Critically, then study found a link between substance use and worsening mental health symptoms across the board. “It’s not just cannabis, it’s not just alcohol, it’s not just nicotine,” said Dr. Tervo-Clemmens. “It seems to be no matter the substance.”

A generational change in substance use

Teens today are experiencing an increase in mental health symptoms but are using fewer drugs and alcohol than prior generations. Cigarette smoking and binge-drinking have declined significantly.

In light of these broad trends, asking questions about substance use may be particularly useful in screening teens for mental health issues. Since the group of regular substance users is smaller than before, it may be more closely associated with youth dealing with mental health challenges or using substances to self-medicate.

Read the full article or the research paper for yourself.

 

Richtel, Matt. “Teen Drug and Alcohol Use Linked to Mental Health Distress.” The New York Times, 29 Jan 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/29/health/teens-drugs-alcohol-mental-health.html.

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