Depressed Young Adults More Likely to Start Cigarette Smoking and Other Substance Use

Depressed Young Adults More Than Twice As Likely To Begin Using Illicit Drugs Than Those Not Suffering from Depression

ROCKVILLE, MD - A new report indicates that young adults who have suffered from depression within the past year are at a higher risk of initiating substance use including cigarette smoking and use of alcohol or illicit drugs.  The findings, based on the largest national survey on substance use and health, were reported today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The release of this report coincides with the Great American Smokeout – a national observance in support of being free of tobacco use and addiction.  The data from the report highlight the relationship between depression and the impulse to begin smoking in young adults.  

Depression and the Initiation of Cigarette, Alcohol, and Other Drug Use among Young Adults indicates that 9.4 percent of people aged 18 to 25, or approximately 3 million young adults in the United States experienced one or more major depressive episodes in the past year.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the source for this report, defines a major depressive episode as a period of two weeks or longer during which there is depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure and the presence of at least four other symptoms that reflect a change in functioning. These include problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.  This definition is consistent with the one used by the American Psychiatric Association. 

“Today is the Great American Smokeout – a day when we pause to recognize ongoing efforts to draw attention to the health benefits of avoiding cigarettes,’’ said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D. “This study clearly reveals that too often people turn to cigarettes or other substances to try to deal with depression, creating a double jeopardy for their health and well-being.”

Among the report’s notable findings were that young adults experiencing major depressive episodes within the past year were:

• Approximately 60 percent more likely to have initiated cigarette use than those in their age group who had not experienced depression in the past year (12.7 versus 7.8 percent, respectively).
• Approximately 35 percent more likely to have initiated alcohol use than those in their age group who had not experienced depression in the past year (33.7 versus 24.8 percent).
• Twice as likely to have initiated use of an illicit drug as those in their age group who had not experienced depression in the past year (12.0 versus 5.8 percent).
• Twice as likely to start abusing pain relief medication than were their contemporaries who had not experienced recent depression (7.1 versus 2.8 percent). 

The report is also notable because of the size of the database -- nearly 135,000 interviews with persons aged 12 or older, including almost 45,000 young adults – and it was conducted during the course of the 2005 and 2006 NSDUH surveys.  This database is one of the largest and most detailed of its kind.

The full report, including detailed information on demographic groups and types of substance abuse, is available on the Web.  Copies may be obtained free of charge by calling SAMHSA’s Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727). Request inventory number NSDUH07-1115.  For related publications and information, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/ . 

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

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