PROVIDENCE, R.I., Jan. 30 Children who have been arrested and are depressed are more likely to use drugs, alcohol and engage in unsafe sexual activity, a U.S. study found.
Lead author Marina Tolou-Shams of the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center in Providence, R.I., suggests the need for depression screenings as part of the juvenile intake process in order to determine appropriate mental health, substance use and HIV risk behavior interventions.
"We know that symptoms of depression may be a factor that is linked to both drug and alcohol use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors," Tolou-Shams says in a statement. "However, juvenile offenders aren't routinely screened for emotional difficulties, such as depression or anxiety -- rather, everyone tends to focus more on their conduct or behavioral problems."
The researchers assessed the depressive symptoms, sexual behavior, substance use, risk attitudes and mental health history of 835 sexually active adolescents and young adults, ages 15 to 21, from Providence and Atlanta. A quarter of the study participants had an arrest history.
The study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, finds that juvenile offenders with significant symptoms of depression reported much greater drug and alcohol use.
Copyright 2008 by UPI
