CDC report finds teens use drugs to ease stress and anxiety, often while alone
Teens with marijuana or alcohol use problems say they turn to drugs because of a crushing need to relax and escape worries, according a new CDC report.
Teenagers with suspected substance use problems say they turn to drugs because of a crushing need to relax and escape worries, according to research published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new findings follow reports of rising anxiety and depression among the nation's youth, including unprecedented levels of hopelessness.
Because those conditions are often linked to substance use in adolescence, said Sarah Connolly, lead author of the new report and an epidemic intelligence service officer within the CDC's Division of Overdose Prevention, "it might make sense that teens are looking for ways to reduce stress and anxiety."
Connolly's study, the first of its kind, expands on limited research previously done on why kids use drugs. It is based on data from the National Addictions Vigilance Intervention and Prevention Program. It includes self-assessments from 15,963 teenagers, ages 13 to 18, who answered questions online about their motivations for drug and alcohol use from 2014 through 2022.
The findings do not reflect why teenagers might experiment with drugs for the first time; all were flagged for substance use disorder and subsequent treatment.
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