Researchers at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center recently study the depression's effect on alcohol and cigarette use. Four-hundred-and-sixty-two people participated in the study, which documented initial alcohol and cigarette use, the measured use six months after participants had completed cessation treatment.

"Among those who were depressed, the odds of drinking, the next time you checked in with them six months later, were 1.5 times greater than the odds of drinking for individuals without significant depressive symptoms."

Though depression had a significant effect on alcohol use, cigarette use was not affected. The study's lead author, Molly Kodl, says the results underscore the importance of assessing a patient's depressive tendencies when he or she enters a treatment program.

Teenage depression is a real and scary thing. If your teen is experiencing signs of depression, you have to act quickly to get them the help they need. A residential treatment program that offers a full assessment of behaviors and emotions can help.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, depression, treatment

Teens who suffer from depression and also abuse drugs can benefit from a combination of antidepressants and therapy or therapy alone, according to a new study from the University of Colorado.

When the teens in the study felt less depressed, they were more likely to drop their substance abuse.

Clinicians in the field are calling the study "landmark" because it is the first time that someone has shown that depressed, addicted teens can safely take antidepressants.

Dr. Paula Riggs and her colleagues studied 126 teenagers who had a history of abusing at least one drug but who also suffered from major depression. Three-fourths of the teens who took fluoxetines combined with talk therapy showed major decreases in their levels of depression and became more successful at addiction treatment. Some 67% of those who received only talk therapy without medications also improved.

Therapy helped the teens learn new ways of dealing with their problems and improved their ability to cope with cravings.

"These kids come into drug treatment with only one tool in their tool bags," Dr. Riggs said. "If their dog dies? I think I'll get high. If their girlfriend breaks up with them? I think I'll get high."

This study appears in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

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Labels: addiction, depression, treatment

Teens who are depressed are twice as likely to use alcohol and drugs as those who report no depression, according to a study by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The researchers looked at data from 2005. They found that 2.2 million people ages 12 to 17 experienced a major depression. The rate of depression was higher among older teens – 4.3% among twelve-year-olds and 11.9% among seventeen-year-olds. Girls had higher rates of depression than boys— 13.3% compared to 4.5%.

Teen alcohol and drug abuse is a serious matter. Find professionals who can help teenagers with drug addiction and substance abuse at the Teen-Help-Directory.com.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, depression, drug_abuse