Depressive syndrome in adolescents with risks of substance use

Abstract

The article presents an empirical study devoted to the study of depressive symptoms in adolescents with different personality profiles corresponding to high psychological risks of developing addictive behavior. The study materials were obtained from a sample of 140 adolescents with high rates of suicidal and self-harming behavior identified (in a previously published study). Indicators of autoaggressive behavior were diagnosed on the basis of psychodiagnostic testing conducted in secondary schools in the Moscow region. To study the risks of addictive behavior, a questionnaire "Narokrisk" was used (Syrkin L. D., 2016), and a questionnaire for children's depression was used to study depressive symptoms (children's Depression Inventory, Kovacs M., 1992). The study identified 50 people with risk-based personality profiles that correspond to high risks of addictive behavior associated with substance use. According to the results of a comparative analysis in the group with high addictive potential and the control group (n=90), it was found that the integral level of depression in the risk group significantly exceeds the critical value (71), while in the control group, the indicator of depression varies within the normal range. The results of correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between the indicators of individual symptoms and the overall level of depression. Conclusions are made that in adolescents with abulistic, conformal and cognitive-destructive riskbased personality profiles, an increase in addictive potential is accompanied by an increase in depressive symptoms.