(Haworth Press, Inc., 2004) Williams, Robert J.; Zolner, Theresa; Bertrand, Lorne D.; Davis, R. Meghan
Frequent substance use has a strong association with poor
mental health. The relationship between infrequent substance use and
mental health is less clear. The present study investigated this relationship
in a large group (n = 2118) of 12-19-year-olds from Alberta, Canada.
Results indicated that adolescents who used tobacco or alcohol once
a month or less tended to have equivalent mental health status to abstainers.
Using cannabis 3-5 times/year or less had no adverse mental health
associations. However, poorer mental health was associated with single
time use of hallucinogens or other drugs. In general, substance usage
tended to have more negative mental health associations for younger
compared to older adolescents.