A report found that teenagers who have experienced a major depressive episode in the last year are more likely to use many types of drugs.
The report found that more than a fifth of teens aged 12 through 17 that experienced a major depressive episode, or MDE, used marijuana, compared to just 11 percent of teens that didn’t experience an MDE.
Usage rates of other drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, inhalants, stimulants and pain relievers were also more than twice as high among teens who had experienced an MDE.
Major depressive episodes include persistent irritable moods, disturbed sleep, ideas of self-harm and reduced self-esteem.
Researchers from ProjectKnow analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for the study. ProjectKnow is an organization dedicated to informing the public about addiction and treatment options.
The study also found that females were much more likely than males to experience an MDE between the ages of 12 and 17.
MDE rates were also analyzed by race, with teens of two or more races the most likely to experience and MDE.
More than 17 million children across the country suffer from a psychiatric disorder and less than half of all depressed teenagers will be correctly diagnosed and treated.
Forty percent of females and 26 percent of males received treatment for depression in 2015.
