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June 20th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda TUESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) — Prescription drug abuse
among American college students is linked to depression and suicidal
thoughts, a new study finds.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 26,000 college students at 40
campuses who took part in the 2008 American College Health Association
National College Assessment survey.
As part of the survey, the students were asked about their nonmedical
use of prescription drugs such as painkillers, stimulants, sedatives and
antidepressants, and about their mental health symptoms over the past
year.
About 13 percent of the college students reported nonmedical use of
prescription drugs. Those who said they had felt hopeless, sad, depressed
or had considered suicide were much more likely to abuse prescription
drugs.
This association was especially strong among female students who
reported painkiller use, the researchers found.
The study will be published in the August issue of Addictive
Behaviors: An International Journal.
“Because prescription drugs are tested by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration and prescribed by a doctor, most people perceive them as
‘safe’ and don’t see the harm in sharing with friends or family if they
have a few extra pills left over,” study co-author Amanda Divin, an
assistant professor of health sciences at Western Illinois University,
said in a university news release.
“Unfortunately, all drugs potentially have dangerous side effects. As
our study demonstrates, use of prescription drugs — particularly
painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin — is related to depressive
symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in college students. This is
why use of such drugs need to be monitored by a doctor and why mental
health outreach on college campuses is particularly important,” Divin
explained.
The findings suggest that college students are abusing prescription
drugs to ease mental distress.
“Considering how common prescription sharing is on college campuses and
the prevalence of mental health issues during the college years, more
investigation in this area is definitely warranted,” Divin said. “Our
study is just one of the many first steps in exploring the relationship
between nonmedical prescription drug use and mental health.”
More information
The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has more about prescription drug abuse.
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