Consumption of Licit and Illicit Substances and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents

Liliana Baez Corona1, Emilio Dominguez San Martín2, María de la Luz León Vázquez3, Patricia Seefoo Jarquin4 and Miriam Cabrera Jiménez 5

1Medical Intern of Social Service, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Family Medicine Unit No. 9 Santa Ana Chiautempan Tlaxcala, Mexico
2Medical epidemiologist, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Family Medicine Unit No. 9 Santa Ana Chiautempan Tlaxcala, Mexico
3Family Doctor, Coordination of Planning and Institutional Liaison, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Tlaxcala, Mexico
4Clinical Coordinator of Health Education and Research, Subzone General Hospital with Family Medicine No. 8, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Tlaxcala, Mexico
5Medical professor at the Centro de Investigación Educativa y Formación Docente Puebla, Mexico
1 Email: lilianacorona525@gmail.com.mx, 2 Email emilio.dominguez@imss.gob.mx, 3Email: clarissa023@gmail.com, 4Email: amiserena28@hotmail.com and 5Email: miriamcj2015@hotmail.com
1 ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6504-4624, 2 ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5881-2234, 3 ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5192-9704, 4 ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7558-2303 and 5 ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2042-5837

Received: 16th Dec, 2025; Revised: 8th Feb 2026; Accepted: 12th Feb, 2026; Available Online: 28th Feb, 2026

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The consumption of psychoactive substances and depressive symptoms has increased in adolescents with an impact on the biopsychosocial development of young people, representing a public health problem.

Objective: To identify whether there is an association between the consumption of licit and illicit substances and the presence of depressive symptoms in adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age.

Material and method: Observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study. It included 135 adolescents between 12 and 19 years of age, both sexes. Age, sex, education, occupation, marital status, and family composition were questioned, and specific problems related to substance use were identified through the Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI-R). A descriptive analysis and Fisher's exact test were performed, considering p<.05 as significant.

Results: 52.6% men, 74.8% living in urban areas. Alcohol consumption was the most frequent, followed by tobacco and marijuana, in 74% of cases a member of the family has ingested it. Social competence and social networks were the dimensions with the greatest problem (low tolerance and impulsiveness, tendency to isolation). 63% had moderate to severe depressive symptoms, related to substance use. Higher consumption of tobacco, marijuana and cocaine by men (.008, <.001 and <.001), but not with alcohol (.461).

Conclusions: Most of them have consumed at least one licit or illicit substance before the age of 18, it is moderately related to depressive symptoms and gender, worrying patterns were identified in the severity of depressive symptoms and psychosocial conditions.

Keywords: Adolescents; Alcohol consumption; Illicit drugs; Depression; Substance-related disorders

How to cite this article: Baez Corona L, Dominguez San Martín E, León Vázquez ML, Seefoo Jarquin P and Cabrera Jiménez M, Consumption of Licit and Illicit Substances and Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(5s): 109-116. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.5s.14