Fewer Teens Drinking, Unless They've Considered Suicide
The prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking declined among adolescents, but those with a recent history of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) showed more modest declines.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers analyzed national survey data from 1991 to 2023 involving adolescents in grades 9 through 12 (n = 254,675) to examine temporal trends in use of alcohol and cannabis among those with and without a recent history of STB.
Teens were asked if they had suicidal thoughts over the past year or if they had made any attempts at suicide, on the basis of which researchers defined two groups.
Current alcohol use was defined as consumption of at least one drink on one or more days in the past 30 days; binge drinking was defined as the consumption of five or more drinks within a couple of hours on one or more days in the past 30 days.
Current cannabis use was defined as use over the past 30 days.
The trends in the prevalence rates of substance use were studied, as well as biennial percent change (BPC).
TAKEAWAY:
The prevalence of current alcohol use declined significantly from 2009 to 2023 among those with no STB (BPC, -5.41; P < .001) and 2007 onward among those with a history of suicidal ideation only (BPC, -3.51; P < .001) and suicide attempts (BPC, -2.82; P < .001).
Teens without a recent history of STBs showed steeper declines in the prevalence of binge drinking than those with recent suicidal ideation or suicide attempts.
Since 1995, the prevalence of cannabis use decreased significantly among adolescents without a recent history of STBs, but no significant change was observed for the other groups of teens.
Among girls with a recent history of suicidal thoughts or attempts, the decline in alcohol use occurred at a more modest rate compared with the faster decline observed in girls without a recent history of STBs; and the rates of cannabis use plateaued since the 1990s for both.
IN PRACTICE:
'[These] findings suggest the need for continued screening and assessment of substance misuse among adolescents presenting with STBs, as well as the importance of developing targeted treatments to address these co-occurring concerns,' the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Shayna M. Cheek, PhD, of the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. It was published online on June 21 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
LIMITATIONS:
The true prevalence rates of substance use may have been underestimated because the survey was conducted in schools, and STBs and substance use are linked to absenteeism. The timing of survey administration in 2021 was inconsistent because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Demographic factors such as gender identity or poverty were not assessed.
DISCLOSURES:
This study did not receive any specific funding. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
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