Adolescent drinking linked to behavioural problems

Teens who drink heavily are more likely to have behavioural and attention problems and suffer from anxiety and depression, a new study has found.

In the study, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology surveyed nearly 9,000 teens aged 13-19 years.

They found that boys who drank frequently were more likely to report conduct problems.

Girls who drank frequently reported attention and conduct problems, along with depression and anxiety.

Overall, 80% of the teenagers said they had tried alcohol, while 29% said they had been drunk more than 10 times in their lives.

More than two in five teens who reported behavioural or other problems also reported having been drunk more than 10 times in their lives, while only 27% of students who reported few or no conduct problems had been drunk more than 10 times.

But boys were only slightly more likely than girls to report drinking heavily.

The researchers said because conduct and attention problems tend to emerge early in childhood, it seems unlikely that adolescent alcohol abuse itself causes mental health problems.

“But the study does suggest that adolescents with attention and conduct problems are at high risk for developing alcohol problems,” the researchers added.

“Teenaged girls with depression or anxiety symptoms should also be considered at high risk of developing alcohol abuse, the researchers say. This is especially true for younger teen girls aged 13-16,” the researchers concluded.

The study was published in the journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.

[Posted: Thu 16/07/2009]