Interrelationship between ATOD use and depression among adolescents aged 12-17 in the United States

Background: Adolescence is a time of enormous physical, emotional, social and psychological transition. Depression is the most common mental health problem among adolescents. In 2004, about 14.0 percent of adolescents aged 12-17 had experienced at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in their lifetime and about 9.0 percent experienced at least one MDE in the past year. Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between depression measured by MDE and drug use among adolescents. Data and Methods: This research uses 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The NSDUH 2004 survey includes questions for adolescents aged 12-17 to assess past year major depressive episode (MDE) and their use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana during 12 months prior to the interview. In addition to univariate and bi-variate analysis, multivariate logistic regression models are used to assess the relationship between MDE and the use of drug by adolescents aged 12-17 adjusted for age, race, gender, parental influence and family income. Results: Adolescents who experienced a past year MDE are more likely to have engaged in substance use. Specifically, adolescents who experienced a past year MDE are more than twice as likely to have smoked cigarettes during the past month as those without a past year MDE (22.8 vs. 10.7 percent). Adolescents who experienced a past year MDE are more likely to report any alcohol use in the past month than their peers who had no MDE in the past year (28.4 vs. 16.5 percent).