A study involving about 13,000 teenagers has revealed that male high school athletes are more likely to become binge drinkers and to get into physical fights.

The researchers also found that boys in team sports are less likely to be depressed or to smoke cigarettes. Female athletes were less likely to smoke or use marijuana.

This study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.

Labels: binge drinking, depression, athletics

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A study from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine examined the link between depression and alcoholism, and found that it the disorders develop differently in men and women. Women tend to drink and become alcoholic because they are depressed, while men tend to develop depression after becoming alcoholics.

After studying more than 5,000 adults over age 30, the researchers concluded that genetic precursors to mood disorders may explain why alcoholism runs in certain families.

"Our study suggests that familial factors that underlie mood-related drinking motives are the same factors that contribute to the overlapping familial risk for mood disorders and alcoholism," said UC professor Victor Hasselbrock, a co-author of the study.

Depressive disorders have been increasing every year since 1915. They affect nine percent of women and five percent of men. In young people, adolescent depression has been associated with an increased risk of eating disorders, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and a host of other concerns.

Labels: alcoholism, depression, genetics

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About 40 percent of teenagers with depression do not initially respond to a drug regimen of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Common drugs in this class of anti-depressants include Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil.

Researchers led by UCLA Professor Joan Asarow studied 334 depressed teenagers who did not improve with SSRI therapy. These teens were divided into four groups

• One group switched to different forms of SSRIs.
• The second group took Venlafaxine, an anti-depressant in a different family of drugs.
• The third group took SSRIs plus cognitive behavior therapy.
• The fourth group took Venlafaxine plus cognitive behavior therapy.

The members of the third and fourth groups showed the most improvement. Many of them had coexisting disorders such as anxiety or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder along with depression. The combination of drugs and therapy did not help many teens with high levels of hopelessness or histories of abuse.

This study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Labels: depression, medications, therapy

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Religion helps people develop self-control, which at least one psychologist believes may explain why religious people have lower rates of substance abuse and depression, better academic success, lower levels of criminal behavior, better health, and longer lives.

Dr. Michael McCullough of the University of Miami Department of Psychology combed through eighty years of research on religion for a report published in the journal Psychological Bulletin. Among his findings were that religious rituals affect the part of the brain that regulates self-control, which may explain why religious people are less likely to misuse drugs and alcohol or have criminal behaviors.

Dr. McCullough also found that since religious people believe their goals are "sacred," they put more energy into them, and are more likely than others to attain them.

Labels: depression, religion, self-control

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University of Texas researchers are trying to isolate brain differences in preteens that put may them at risk for future alcoholism and depression.

Dr. Douglas Williamson and his colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center are performing brain scans on 300 San Antonio children between the ages 12 to 15. Some of the children are at high risk for depression, and their tests may indicate increased sensitivity to events in their lives, and to fear and anger.

Williamson's team will follow these preteens for several years, and will collect data on their DNA and life styles. The researchers are hoping that early intervention with high-risk preteens will prevent later problems.

Besides depression, other risk factors for alcoholism are aggression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, anti-social behavior, conduct disorder, and weak social relationships.

Labels: alcoholism, depression

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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, treatment, depression

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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, treatment, depression

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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, drug_abuse, depression

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New animal studies found that stopping even moderate drinking can lead to depression and a reduced capacity of the brain to produce neurons.  However, antidepressant drugs can correct both situations.

Researchers at the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina found that withdrawal from alcohol produced deep depressive symptoms in mice, which could be related to a significant drop in the number of new neural stem cells in their brains.

"This research provides the first evidence that long-term abstinence from moderate alcohol drinking -rather than drinking per se- leads to a negative mood state," said Dr. Clyde Hodge, lead author of the study.

Dr. Hodge and his colleagues found that if they administered antidepressant drugs to the animals, they showed no sign of depression and restored their capacity to produce new neural cells.

This study appeared in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
 

Labels: alcohol, depression

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