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Speed, Ecstasy may lead to teen depression

Secondary school students who use methamphetamine and MDMA are at increased risk of developing depressive symptoms, according to recent study results.

Researchers from the University of Montreal sampled 3,880 students from disadvantaged areas of Quebec, Canada, from 2003 to 2008. The students were aged 15 to 16 years and admitted to using methamphetamine (Speed) or MDMA (Ecstasy), or both, during 10th grade.

Adjusting for pre-existing depressive symptoms and the use of other drugs, researchers used logistic regression to predict the level of elevated depressive symptoms associated with students’ use of Speed and Ecstasy. Depressive symptoms were measured the following year using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression questionnaire.

The use of Speed (OR=1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3) and Ecstasy (OR=1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.6) at 10th grade “significantly increased the odds” of depressive symptoms by 11th grade, results showed. Students who used both drugs concurrently were almost twice as likely as nonusers to report symptoms (OR=1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-2.9).

Researchers also found that the use of Speed was more prevalent than Ecstasy among this age group. More students (6.7%) reported using Speed and Ecstasy together than Speed alone (4.9%) and Ecstasy alone (1.3%).

The resulting data were consistent with previous studies that suggest synthetic drug use is tied to long-term negative effects. However, researchers said the effect of Speed and Ecstasy use — in particular, both — on subsequent depressive symptoms is modest, “but remarkable enough to be interpreted as non-trivial. … Modest contributions can have significant clinical implications from a population health perspective.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.