Substance use, depression, and anxiety: A cross-sectional study comparing adolescents with epilepsy and diabetes

Adolescents with chronic conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes frequently grapple with significant psychological distress, including depression and anxiety. The neglect of these mental health concerns can have severe repercussions, including substance abuse. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of substance use, depression, and anxiety among Adolescents with Epilepsy (AWE) and Diabetic Patients (DP).

This cross-sectional study included AWE and DP aged 14-18 years referred to Shiraz Namazi Hospital during 2023-2024. Participants were diagnosed by pediatric neurologists and pediatric endocrinologists, respectively, adhering to established diagnostic criteria. Urine toxicology screens were conducted to detect substance use. Additionally, self-reported questionnaires, the Adolescent Substance Abuse Questionnaire (ASQ-AV) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), were administered to assess addiction susceptibility and negative emotions, respectively. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.

The study included 143 adolescents, comprising 72 (50.3 %) with epilepsy and 71 (49.7 %) with diabetes. No statistically significant differences were observed between the AWE and DP groups in terms of demographic characteristics (gender, age, and disease duration), the prevalence of depression (76.4 % vs. 73.2 %), anxiety (68.1 % vs. 69.0 %), or substance use (7 % vs. 1.4 %). However, a significantly higher addiction propensity score was found in the AWE group compared to the DP group (p = 0.018).

The prevalence of anxiety and depression was significant in both AWE and DP groups. Furthermore, the propensity for addiction was significantly higher in AWE, highlighting the need for implementing strategies to prevent the development of addiction in these patients.