AFFECTIVE DISORDERS: DRUG USE BY PUBLIC SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between alcohol and drug use and affective disorders (anxiety, depression, and stress) in adolescents aged 14 to 18 who attended public schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. Adolescence is a sensitive period of development from a biopsychosocial perspective, where emotional vulnerability can be heightened by stress sources such as social isolation and sudden uprooting due to the health crisis. Given the context presented, it is important to investigate further the relationship between mental health and risk behaviors in our participants, such as drug use, which may negatively impact their full development. In terms of methodology, we conducted a quantitative study with a cross-sectional approach, using validated tools (Drug Use Screening Inventory/DUSI and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale/DASS-21) with a sample of 226 students from public schools in a municipality in the Central-West region of Minas Gerais. The sample was also obtained through cluster sampling and organized by stratification based on region to ensure territorial representativeness. Descriptive analyses and conclusions were made through the processing of logistic regression, also calculating Odds Ratios and corresponding confidence intervals to attribute sociodemographic, family, and emotional variables to the use and consumption of alcohol, tobacco, tranquilizers, and other drugs. The results indicate that alcohol and tobacco use tend to increase gradually with age, being more prevalent among 16-year-old adolescents. There was also an association between the parents' marital status and tobacco use, with higher prevalence among youths whose parents are separated or widowed. It was also observed that alcohol and medication consumption occurred more frequently among girls. Furthermore, it was found that the likelihood of alcohol and illicit substance use was 2.53 and 3.77 times higher, respectively, among adolescents showing anxiety symptoms. These results suggest that the pandemic significantly impacted both mental health and risk behaviors in adolescents, reinforcing the need to expand the discussion on psychosocial support measures and the implementation of specific public policies for this group in the post-pandemic context.