TITLE:
Anxiety-Depressive Profile in Adolescent Consumers of Psychoactive
AUTHORS:
I. Cherkaoui El Malki, I. Echerbaoui, K. Mammad, Y. El Madhi, A. O. T. Ahami
KEYWORDS:
Adolescence, Psychoactive Substances, Depression, Anxiety, Morocco
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Medical Psychology,
Vol.7 No.2,
April
30,
2018
ABSTRACT: Adolescence is a period of pivotal change in brain development. It accompanied by profound cognitive-behavioral, somatic and psychic changes with increased vulnerability to risk taking. This work explores the current state of consumption of the main psychoactive substances (PAS), (tobacco, cannabis, alcohol) among schoolchildren, their interrelationships and the possible links with psychological suffering of anxious or depressive type. The study is a descriptive and analytical transversal type, carried out by a self-questionnaire and two neuropsychological tests evaluating depressive symptomatology: Adolescent Depression Rating Scale (ADRS) patient version in 10 items, and The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), among 714 high school students aged 15 to 21 years, in Kenitra, Morocco. The results show that the population of adolescents who use psychoactive substances appears to be more depressed and more anxious than non-users. The prevalence of regular consumption of the three psychoactive substances is significant between girls and boys (p