Prevalence and socio‐demographic correlates of drug use among adolescents: results from the Mexican Adolescent Mental Health Survey

Abstract

While drug use among Mexican adolescents is lower than among adolescents from other developed countries, its increasing prevalence with age and the narrowing male/female ratio calls for firm public health actions, particularly prevention strategies.

Association of Media Literacy With Cigarette Smoking Among Youth in Jujuy, Argentina

“…Students also reported parent's formal education and employment status, the number of adults in the household, if they were catholic or not, whether they have ever repeated a grade, whether they drank at least one "serving" of alcohol in the previous week, whether adults smoked at home, the number of their friends who smoked, and whether they were employed during the school year. Depression was ascertained by asking whether the respondent had felt sad and could not carry on his/her normal activities for at least 2 weeks in the past year (Benjet et al, 2007). Thrill-seeking attitude was assessed by three items from an established scale using a 5-point disagreement-agreement response set (Vega, Zimmerman, Warheit, Apospori, & Gil, 1993).…”

Readiness and barriers to adopt evidence-based practices for substance abuse treatment in Mexico

“…Fewer respondents reported using the Addiction Severity Index (29.5%), compared to the DSM-IV/5 (81.8%), and ICD-10 (78.2%). The behavior-al interventions most commonly identified as 'frequently' used were MET (85.1%) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT, 78.2%); with lesser use of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT, 34.7%), 12 Step facilitation (22.7%) and couples therapy (17.3%). Only the use of a referral system, BSFT and psychiatric services, were significantly different among respondents, across the participating sites.…”

Drug Resistance and Substance Use Among Male and Female Adolescents in Alternative Secondary Schools in Guanajuato, Mexico

“…In large national probability surveys over the last decade, more than one in three Mexican adolescents (ages 12-17) reported lifetime use of alcohol, and about one in six reported tobacco use (Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática, 2004; Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública [INSP], 2008). Although illicit drug use remains relatively uncommon among adolescents in Mexico and primarily involves use of marijuana, it is increasing, especially in northern regions and large urban areas (Benjet et al, 2007b;Medina-Mora et al, 1993INSP, 2008). Younger generations of Mexicans show signs of progressing to drug abuse and dependence at higher rates than those in older cohorts (INSP, 2008).…”

“…Female adolescents in Mexico are increasingly exposed to substance use and appear especially vulnerable to substance abuse and dependence (Benjet et al, 2007b;Medina-Mora et al, 2006). In a 2008 national survey, the proportion of adolescents that met the criteria for alcohol abuse/dependence was similar for males and females, and 10-year trends in lifetime use of illicit drugs showed virtually no change for adolescent males, whereas rates for adolescent females more than doubled (INSP, 2008).…”

“…Despite increases in substance use rates among Mexican youth, a narrowing gender gap in use, and growing evidence that Mexican youth are increasingly exposed to offers of both licit and illicit substances (Benjet et al, 2007b), it is remarkable that most Mexican adolescents fi nd ways to not use substances. This article explores the drug-resistance strategies used by youth in central Mexico, how their use of these strategies predicts patterns of substance use, and how these associations differ by gender.…”