Psychological distress, non-medical use of prescription medications, and perceived unmet mental health care needs: a cross-sectional study of Ontario students.
In: Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, Jg. 58 (2023-10-01), Heft 10, S. 1483-1492
Online
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Zugriff:
Purpose: The non-medical use of prescription medications among adolescents has become a concerning public health issue. This study assessed the prevalence of the non-medical use of prescription medications in Ontario high school students, and explored the moderating effect of this use on the relationship between psychological distress and unmet mental health needs. Methods: Cross-sectional data for 4896 students, age 14–18, were drawn from the 2019 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler-6 Distress Scale, unmet mental health needs were defined by self-report (yes/no), and non-prescription medication use was defined by self-reported frequency of use. Using logistic regression, we explored the effect of the non-medical use of prescription medications on the relationship between psychological distress and unmet mental health needs. Results: High proportions of Ontario students reported serious psychological distress (22%), some degree of unmet mental health need (38%), and/or non-medical use of prescription medications (13%). While there were strong associations between psychological distress and unmet mental health need, this association was weaker among those reporting non-medical use of prescription medications (OR = 3.3, 95% CI 1.9–5.7) compared to non-users (OR = 5.6, 95% CI 4.5–7.1). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Ontario students experiencing distress and using non-prescribed medications are less likely to identify a need for mental health support, highlighting the consequences of apparent self-medication through misuse of prescription medications. To assist in the redirection of adolescent perceptions of healthy coping strategies, population-based educational programming, with targeted promotion of both formal and informal mental health care resources, should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Psychological distress, non-medical use of prescription medications, and perceived unmet mental health care needs: a cross-sectional study of Ontario students.
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Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: | Landry, Hannah ; Kingsbury, Mila ; Hamilton, Hayley A. ; Colman, Ian |
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Zeitschrift: | Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, Jg. 58 (2023-10-01), Heft 10, S. 1483-1492 |
Veröffentlichung: | 2023 |
Medientyp: | academicJournal |
ISSN: | 0933-7954 (print) |
DOI: | 10.1007/s00127-023-02450-y |
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