Differences in substance use, psychiatric disorders and social factors between Mexican adolescents and young adults

Substance use disorders (SUDs) have high comorbidities with psychiatric disorders. Childhood and adolescence are particularly vulnerable developmental periods for the onset of SUDs. The objective of this study was to explore the differences, if any, between Mexican adolescents and young adults with respect to the prevalences of groups of psychiatric disorders, the types of substances used and the social factors involved.

This cross-sectional study included 781 patients evaluated at the Youth Integration Center in Mexico City. The diagnostic criteria for SUDs and psychiatric disorders were defined according to the DSM-IV and ICD-10. Associations between SUDs and psychiatric disorders were evaluated via multivariate analysis using logistic regression models.

The adolescents were more frequently substance abusers, whereas the adults had legal problems more often than the adolescents. We showed that adolescents using inhalants or cocaine were 1.62 more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Moreover, adults using inhalants were 3.33 times more likely to meet the criteria for a psychotic disorder.

We found that adolescents diagnosed with ADHD were more likely to have problems with use or abuse of or dependence on inhalants, and an elevated prevalence of parental SUDs was found in both the adolescent and adult groups.

Our findings indicate that earlier diagnosis and intervention are necessary in adolescents with ADHD and/or parental SUDs to prevent more advanced psychiatric diseases and adverse social consequences during adulthood. (Am J Addict 2018;XX:1-7).