Association between substance use and mental health in Paraguayan young adults

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in interest in understanding the relationship between substance use and mental health, especially in young adults. Objective: the present study focused on investigating the association between substance use and mental health, specifically in terms of anxiety and depression, in young Paraguayan adults in 2023. Methodology: This was a descriptive observational study of prevalence and cross-association that was temporally prospective. Young Paraguayan adults of both sexes, aged between 18 and 30 years, voluntarily completed a survey disseminated through social networks. The variables measured were sociodemographic (age, sex, place of residence, occupation) and related to the consumption of legal (alcohol) and illegal (cannabis, other drugs) substances. The MULTICAGE CAD-4 questionnaire was used to assess problematic consumption of alcohol and other substances, while symptoms of depression and anxiety were measured using the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale (GADS). Results: A total of 177 young adults (mean age, 28.96 ± 10.09 years) were included in the study. The 66.1% were female, most of them were non-working students (50.8%) and resided in the city of Asunción (54.8%). According to MULTICAGE CAD-4, 23.2% of the sample presented alcohol abuse/dependence (possible, probable, or certain), while 4.5% of the sample scored positive for drug addiction. According to the GADS, 82.5% of the sample presented with symptoms of depression, whereas 75.7% reported symptoms of anxiety. A significant association was observed between alcohol abuse/dependence and depressive symptoms (p=0.049). No other associations were observed. Conclusions: Almost one in four young Paraguayan adults had alcohol abuse/dependence according to MULTICAGE CAD-4, and almost 5% had drug addiction. High frequencies of anxiety and depressive symptoms were observed. Depression was significantly associated with alcohol abuse and dependence.