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Depression and substance use in minority middle-school students
S H Kelder1, N G Murray, P Orpinas
1University of Texas-Houston, School of Public Health, Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, 7000 Fannin St, Suite 2622, Houston, TX 77030, USA. kelder@sph.uth.tmc.edu
American Journal of Public Health
|May 10, 2001
Summary
Middle school students with depression symptoms showed higher rates of substance use, including smoking, binge drinking, and illicit drug use. Prevention programs targeting this association are recommended during middle school years.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent health
- Mental health
- Substance abuse research
Background:
- Adolescent depression and substance use are significant public health concerns.
- Understanding the co-occurrence of these issues in middle school is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between depressive symptoms and various forms of substance use among middle school students.
- To examine demographic variations in depression and substance use within this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 5721 middle school students.
- Self-report measures assessed depressive symptoms, recent smoking and binge drinking, and lifetime use of marijuana, cocaine, and inhalants.
Main Results:
- A strong positive correlation was observed between depressive symptoms and substance use.
- Increased depressive symptoms corresponded with higher prevalence of all substance use types.
- Substance use scores varied significantly across racial/ethnic groups, unlike depression scores.
Conclusions:
- Depression and substance use are significantly associated in a predominantly Hispanic and non-White middle school population.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complex relationship between adolescent depression and substance use.
- Early-onset prevention programs implemented in middle school are essential to address this comorbidity.