Marijuana Use Speeds Onset of Schizophrenia, Study Says

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For those at risk, marijuana use hastens the onset of schizophrenia, according to a new study.  Researchers found those with a genetic predisposition for psychosis would begin to experience symptoms an average of 2.7 years earlier if they smoked marijuana, and that can mean a greater disruption to their life. “We’ve known for many years that people who develop schizophrenia earlier have a number of poorer outcomes,” Michael Compton, co-author of the report, told the magazine  Miller-McCune. Schizophrenia typically begins between the ages of 18 and 28.  According to the researchers, developing symptoms earlier makes it harder for schizophrenics to succeed later in life because it impacts their ability to graduate high school or finish college. Even though the disease is genetic 80 to 85 percent of the time, many at risk have no family members who suffer from schizophrenia.

How Prevalent are Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues in Juvenile Justice? Jeffery Butts, PhD, says the Answer May Surprise You

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Gail Wasserman and her colleagues from the Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice at Columbia University published an important new study that was released mid-February in Criminal Justice and Behavior: "Psychiatric Disorder, Comorbidity, and Suicidal Behavior in Juvenile Justice Youth." It may be the best source of information yet on the prevalence of substance abuse and mental health disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system. We need accurate information. I've heard many practitioners around the country make the same mistake, claiming that "70 percent" of the youth in "the system" have diagnosable disorders. As I've said before elsewhere, this common mistake usually starts with a misreading of the 2002 study by Linda Teplin at Northwestern University.

Teens Learn the Hard Way: That’s Not Cocaine – It’s Fido

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Five teens had a real OMG! moment.  They broke into a house and stole electronics, jewelry, and something else they mistook for cocaine or heroin.  The kids must have thought they hit the jackpot and they snorted it. When they didn’t get high the teens realized something was wrong.  Very wrong. They saw a TV news report about the burglary and the list of stolen items, which included urns filled with ashes. Instead of cocaine they were snorting the cremated remains of two dogs and a man.

Most Kids Arrested Are on Drugs

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More than half of teens arrested in San Diego County, CA last year tested positive for at least one drug, and 94 percent admitted using drugs or alcohol at some point, according to research from the San Diego Association of Governments.  Marijuana was the most common drug, with 51 percent testing positive at the time of arrest.   47 percent of these kids said their parents abused alcohol or drugs, too. Half said a parent had been previously arrested and jailed.  Read more in the San Diego Union-Tribune

Recovery schools offer kids support

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Teens trying to stay clean from drugs and alcohol may do better by going to a Recovery High School. There are more than 30 of these specialized schools across the United States. Fewer than 20% of students who have gone through drug treatment programs remain sober once they return home, according to the Association of Recovery Schools. A blog from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation called reclaimingfutures.org explains that the 23 year old program combines education and support.  The program allows students in recovery to get course credit towards a high school diploma or a college degree.

Drugs – A Common Bond For Girls and Their Parents

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A new study shows teen girls may use drugs in an attempt to form a stronger bond with their parents, particularly their fathers. Because interpersonal relationships are more important for girls it is harder for them to understand when relationships with parents deteriorate due to lack of emotional involvement. As a result the girl may feel abandoned and neglected and try to rebuild the relationship by drug usage. The report from the National Council on Family Relations is called Drug Use with Parents as a Relational Strategy for Incarcerated Female Adolescents.