A five year study conducted with thousands of local teenagers by University of Montreal researchers reveals that those who used speed (meth/ampthetamine) or ecstasy (MDMA) at fifteen or sixteen years of age were significantly more likely to suffer elevated depressive symptoms the following year. “Our findings are consistent with other human and animal studies that suggest long-term negative influences of synthetic drug use,” said co-author Frédéric N. Brière of the School Environment Research Group at the University of Montreal. “Our results reveal that recreational MDMA and meth/amphetamine use places typically developing secondary school students at greater risk of experiencing depressive symptoms.” Ecstasy and speed-using grade ten students were respectively 1.7 and 1.6 times more likely to be depressed by the time they reached grade eleven. [continue reading…]
Teenagers
Belief that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me,” has gone by the wayside in the 21st century. With the advent of text messaging, online chat groups and social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube, adolescent pranks can be elevated to hysteria and cruel remarks “blasted” to millions in mere seconds. Recently, a text message and MySpace bulletin warned California students that a shooting rampage would take place the next day on campus. The threat went “viral” as friends warned each other via text messages and email, resulting in two-thirds of the student body staying home from school the next day. Although the message was later determined to be a hoax, the fear and consequences were real. [continue reading…]
