@article{ref1,
title="Substance use and depressive and anxiety symptoms among out-of-school adolescent girls and young women in Cape Town, South Africa",
journal="South African medical journal SAMJ",
year="2020",
author="Wechsberg, W. M. and Carney, T. and Bonner, C. P. and Howard, B. N. and Ndirangu, J. W. and Browne, F. A.",
volume="111",
number="1",
pages="40-45",
abstract="BACKGROUND: There is a high prevalence of substance use among youth in South Africa (SA), and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) experience high rates of  depression and anxiety. Substance use behaviours and mental health are associated  with other public health problems among AGYW such as HIV and unintended pregnancy. Therefore, understanding the relationship between substance use and mental health is  imperative to improve AGYW's health. <br><br>OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between  heavy drinking, marijuana, methamphetamine and methaqualone (Mandrax) use and  depressive and anxiety symptoms among AGYW aged 16 - 19 years who have dropped out  of school in Cape Town, SA. <br><br>METHODS: Data for this report come from the baseline  data of 500 participants of an ongoing cluster-randomised trial assessing the  efficacy of a young woman-focused intervention to reduce substance use and HIV risk. After AGYW consented/assented to participate, they completed a urine drug screen and  a baseline questionnaire. <br><br>RESULTS: Logistic and negative binomial regressions,  controlling for clustering at the neighbourhood level, revealed that frequency of  depressive symptoms was significantly and positively related to a positive drug  screen for Mandrax (β=0.07; p=0.03). All other associations between the frequency of  depressive symptoms and substance use were not statistically significant  (ps>0.05). The associations between frequency of anxiety symptoms and substance  use were not statistically significant (ps>0.05). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Our findings  highlight the need to address substance use, especially Mandrax use and its  associated risk, and depression in an integrated, youth-friendly setting.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0038-2469",
doi="10.7196/SAMJ.2020.v111i1.14520",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2020.v111i1.14520"
}