Research

Substance use and depressive and anxiety symptoms among out-of-school adolescent girls and young women in Cape Town, South Africa

C P Bonner, T Carney, F A Browne, J W Ndirangu, B N Howard, W M Wechsberg

Abstract


Background. There is a high prevalence of substance use among youth in South Africa (SA), and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) experience high rates of depression and anxiety. Substance use behaviours and mental health are associated with other public health problems among AGYW such as HIV and unintended pregnancy. Therefore, understanding the relationship between substance use and mental health is imperative to improve AGYW’s health.

Objectives. To examine the association between heavy drinking, marijuana, methamphetamine and methaqualone (Mandrax) use and depressive and anxiety symptoms among AGYW aged 16 - 19 years who have dropped out of school in Cape Town, SA.

Methods. Data for this report come from the baseline data of 500 participants of an ongoing cluster-randomised trial assessing the efficacy of a young woman-focused intervention to reduce substance use and HIV risk. After AGYW consented/assented to participate, they completed a urine drug screen and a baseline questionnaire.

Results. Logistic and negative binomial regressions, controlling for clustering at the neighbourhood level, revealed that frequency of depressive symptoms was significantly and positively related to a positive drug screen for Mandrax (β=0.07; p=0.03). All other associations between the frequency of depressive symptoms and substance use were not statistically significant (ps>0.05). The associations between frequency of anxiety symptoms and substance use were not statistically significant (ps>0.05).

Conclusions. Our findings highlight the need to address substance use, especially Mandrax use and its associated risk, and depression in an integrated, youth-friendly setting.


Authors' affiliations

C P Bonner, Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program, RTI International, Atlanta, GA, USA

T Carney, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa

F A Browne, Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

J W Ndirangu, Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

B N Howard, Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

W M Wechsberg, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

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Keywords

Alcohol and other drug use; Mental health; Mandrax; Integrated care; South Africa

Cite this article

South African Medical Journal 2021;111(1):40-45. DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2020.v111i1.14520

Article History

Date submitted: 2020-12-14
Date published: 2020-12-14

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