The Relationship Between Substance Use and Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between the tendency to use alcohol to cope with depressive feelings and the use of cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol among adolescents. The study was conducted with 15–16-year-old high school students in Northern Cyprus, and data was collected using the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) questionnaire. While the literature suggests a bidirectional relationship between depression and substance use, this study presents a current example of this relationship at a local scale. The study employed a descriptive survey model, and quantitative analyses were conducted using data from a population of 3,901 students. Pearson correlation and simple linear regression analyses revealed significant and positive relationships between depressive drinking and cigarette (r = .46, R² = .21), cannabis (R² = .01–.05), and heavy alcohol consumption (binge drinking) (R² = .31). The strongest relationship was found with heavy alcohol consumption, while short-term cannabis use had the lowest explanatory power. The findings support Lazarus and Folkman's theory of coping strategies and Khantzian's self-medication model. Adolescents were observed to prefer alcohol to cope with psychological stress, which, in turn, increased their tendency to use other substances. In this context, the study offers significant contributions to preventive mental health services and policy development at both the individual and societal levels. Furthermore, as one of the few studies conducted on this topic in the context of Northern Cyprus, it provides local and comparative data to the literature.