Correlations between Drug Abuse and Mental Illness among Adolescents

Drug abuse has resulted to mental illness, depression and suicides among the drug addicts. In 2014, Miller conducted a research on the correlation of drug abuse and mental illness and the findings were that drug abuse is directly linked to mental illness and depression. Therefore it we can draw a conclusion that there is a connection between drug abuse, mental illnesses like depression and cases of death. Further research is needed to promote the understanding between drug abuse and its effects to the teenagers. This research study is seeking to understand if there is a connection between mental illnesses and drug abuse. His study specifically focused on the relationship between cocaine and mental illnesses. Chakravarthy et al. (2013) postulated that several clinical studies had shown that mental instability occurs whenever a person engages in drug abuse and particularly the use of cocaine.

In yet another study by Roncero et al. (2016) on cocaine, the authors indicated the use of cocaine causes mental illnesses or changes in the brain even though in many cases users do not report what affects them. From his chemical description by Roncero et al. (2016), therefore, we can conclude that cannabis affects the brain. Further, Roncero et al. (2016) stated that the brain relies on constant replenishment of fresh cells and proper blood circulation to function well. Biology of the brain is altered and the fact that this alteration occurs frequently is an automatic indicator that the brain degenerates gradually until a point when it cannot function as required. They defined mental health as the brains' ability to be effective, engagement in socially considerate behavior, and accept life’s realities.

Therefore, anything taken that makes the brain to exhibit different characteristics from the ones stated above is considered to be a drug. The study by Roncero et al. (2016) also indicates that drug abuse causes different physiological and psychological distortion. The chemical compounds in the drugs lead to stimulation and hallucination. Several individuals who have been found to be drug addicts are often found to be suffering from mental illnesses. Similarly, many people who have been diagnosed and found to have mental illnesses are mostly previous drug abusers or addicts. Statistics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that drug addicts are twice likely to suffer from mental illnesses compared to a person who does not use drugs. A study by Anoshiravani, Saynina and Chamberlain et al.

, (2015) states that most drug addicts have anxiety and mood disorders. Therefore, the results from all the studies confirm that most of the commonly abused drugs are linked to mental disorders. Another study by Roncero et al. (2016) on the neurotrophic factor in patients with cocaine dependence also confirms that drugs can cause mental disorder because of their effects on a particular part of the brain. His research focused on cocaine, and it revealed that there is a possibility that cocaine can cause bipolar disorder. In his research, the findings confirmed that the chemical compounds in cocaine affect the dopamine system of the brain. Drug Abuse and Mental Illnesses among People Aged 12 to 19 Chakravarthy, Shah, and Lotfipour (2013) carried out statistics on adolescent drug abuse awareness and prevention; they found out that there is an increase in drug and substance abuse among the youth.

In this study conducted in Australia, 1. 9% of people aged between 12 and 17 years have been found to use tobacco or alcohol frequently and almost on a daily basis. Furthermore, the study found out that that 1. 5% percent of people within this age group had used or were still using cocaine. In most movies, characters that use drugs are made to be very cool. This makes the young people the same feeling thus ending up engaging in drug and substance abuse (McCauley, and Institute for Addiction Study, 2012). Da Silva et al. (2016) conducted a research on the impact of drug use on physical and mental health and found that availability is also another reason for the use of drugs and substances. Drugs, such as, marijuana, have been legalized for recreational purposes, thus, making them readily available to young people.

Statistics in the study on the cause and consequence of mental health problems in the youth by Rojas and Coker (2015) indicated that up to 25 % of people aged 12 to 14 years have mental illnesses. However, out of this population, about 5% of the youth have mental illnesses caused by the abuse of drugs and substances. In the same study, the researchers indicated that there is a common mental illnesses among the youth of this age. Among some of the common mental illnesses that have been reported in this population are depression, paranoia, and mood disorders. These mental illnesses are mainly connected to the use of drugs. Drugs that have been discussed such as marijuana and cocaine have been found to have chemical compounds that affect the brain hence impairing the normal functioning of the brain.

Cocaine causes mental illnesses and the bipolar disease. The presence of drug abuse among mentally ill people proves that drug abuse is an absolute cause of mental illness. The study on the cause and consequence of mental health problems among youth shows that there is a connection between drug abuse and mental illness as supported by cases of increased drug abuse among the youth (Rojas & Coker, 2015). According to Da Silva et al. , & Chamberlain, L. et al. Mental illness drives hospitalizations for detained California youth.  J Adolesc Health. Askeland, K. , & Hysing, M. Alcohol and drug use among internationally adopted adolescents: Results from a Norwegian population-based study. American journal of orthopsychiatry. Chakravarthy, B. , Shah, S. , Zerwes Ferreira, A. C. , de Oliveira Borba, L.