Mental Illness Diagnosis in Kids Doesn't Predict Substance Use or Abuse

NIMH researchers report in the journal Pediatrics that although various factors may be tied to the likelihood that adolescents will try alcohol or illegal substances, having a mental illness diagnosis does not appear to be one of them. The researchers found that young teens who were more physically aggressive than their peers were also more likely to have experimented with marijuana and tobacco. They also found that kids who are more impulsive than their peers were more likely to try alcohol. Among teens who had been diagnosed with ADHD, depression or anxiety, however, a psychiatric diagnosis didn't predict substance use or abuse. (Reuters (http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-06-07T174805Z_01_COL764054_RTRUKOC_0_US-AGGRESSIVE-TEENS.xml), 6/7/06)