Young Adult Substance Abuse and Depression | Drug Rehab ...

Young Adults who suffer from depression or co-occuring disorders are at a higher risk for substance abuse and addiction. The new report, based on the largest national survey on substance use and health, demonstrates the significant relationship between mental health and substance abuse

Findings indicate young adults often begin smoking within a year of their depression diagnosis. Furthermore, the incidence of depression among young adults was found to be 9.4 percent of people aged 18 to 25, or approximately 3 million young adults in the United States per year.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the source for this report, defines a major depressive episode as a period of two weeks or longer during which there is depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure and the presence of at least four other symptoms that reflect a change in functioning.

These include problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image. This definition is consistent with the one used by the American Psychiatric Association.

Terry Cline, Ph.D., administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) comments,

?This study clearly reveals that too often people turn to cigarettes or other substances to try to deal with depression, creating a double jeopardy for their health and well-being.?

Among the reports notable findings were that young adults experiencing major depressive episodes within the past year were:

??? ? Approximately 60 percent more likely to have initiated cigarette use than those in their age group who had not experienced depression in the past year (12.7 versus 7.8 percent, respectively).

??? ? Approximately 35 percent more likely to have initiated alcohol use than those in their age group who had not experienced depression in the past year (33.7 versus 24.8 percent).

??? ? Twice as likely to have initiated use of an illicit drug as those in their age group who had not experienced depression in the past year (12.0 versus 5.8 percent).

??? ? Twice as likely to start abusing pain relief medication than were their contemporaries who had not experienced recent depression (7.1 versus 2.8 percent).

The report is also notable because of the size of the database ? nearly 135,000 interviews with persons aged 12 or older, including almost 45,000 young adults ? and it was conducted during the course of the 2005 and 2006 NSDUH surveys. This database is one of the largest and most detailed of its kind.

Source: http://sobercollege.com/2012/young-adult-substance-abuse-depression

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