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. 2001 May;91(5):761–766. doi: 10.2105/ajph.91.5.761

Depression and substance use in minority middle-school students.

S H Kelder 1, N G Murray 1, P Orpinas 1, A Prokhorov 1, L McReynolds 1, Q Zhang 1, R Roberts 1
PMCID: PMC1446668  PMID: 11344884

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the association between depression and substance use in a sample of middle-school students. METHODS: The 5721 students (59%-63% Hispanic) completed self-report items on depressive symptoms, recent smoking and binge drinking, and lifetime use of marijuana, cocaine, and inhalants. RESULTS: Symptoms of depression were strongly and positively related to substance use. For every type of use, a stepwise increase was seen between the percentage of students with low symptom frequency and the percentage of students with more symptoms. A sizable number of users reported symptoms indicating major depression. Depression scores showed few clinically meaningful differences among demographic subgroups. Substance use scores, in contrast, showed meaningful intergroup differences for racial/ethnic group and other demographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms and substance use were associated in a sample of middle-school students who were largely non-White and predominantly Hispanic. Greater understanding of the nature of this association is needed; this understanding should be used to design prevention programs, and prevention programs should be introduced at least in the middle-school years.

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Selected References

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