Study: Teen drug use driven by stress

Most teens who use drugs are searching for calm and hoping to relieve stress, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis suggests (Source: “Stress is driving teens’ drug use, new federal study suggests,” Washington Post, Feb. 17).

The study used data from 15,963 health assessments of 13- to 18-year-olds evaluated for substance-use-disorder treatment between 2014 and 2022. It found that mental health challenges among teens were a driver of drug misuse — and says educating teens on harm reduction while expanding mental health treatment could reduce overdose deaths.

Most of the adolescents in the study — 73% — reported using drugs and alcohol to “feel mellow, calm, or relaxed.” Half said they did so “to have fun or experiment.” But 44% reported using drugs to stop worrying about a problem or forget bad memories, and 40% said they used to help with depression or anxiety. Study participants could choose more than one response, which is why percentages add up to more than 100%.

To help counter the risks, the researchers recommend ensuring teens have access to substance use treatment and mental health resources and developing harm reduction education that’s tailored to teens. By teaching teens not to use alone and educating them on how to prevent and respond to overdoses, they write, fatal overdoses could be avoided.