Does alcohol in early puberty lead to mental illness?

Those who drink alcohol in early puberty have more emotional complaints. These include, for example, behavioral problems such as aggression, but also a physical discomfort without an organic cause. Affected teens have a certain amount of suffering and are more prone to mental illness such as depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder later in life. This is what the results of a Spanish study suggest.

Nearly 3,700 students from the Complutense University in Madrid took part in the study. Each subject had already drunk alcohol in his life without any abuse. In questionnaires the participants anonymously gave information on the ages, how often and how much alcohol they consumed. Psychologically relevant symptoms were also recorded.

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It seems that starting to drink alcohol at the age of 11 to 13 promotes mental health problems. The risk was significantly higher than among teenagers who had drunk alcohol for the first time at the age of 16 at the earliest. The most frequently complained adolescents about physical discomfort without organic findings such as muscle pain, respiratory and gastrointestinal complaints. Hostility, aggression and violent behavior towards oneself and others were common.

There were clear differences between the sexes: in general, girls were more susceptible to the negative effects of early alcohol consumption. In addition, they were more likely to show signs of depression and anxiety, while male teens were prone to outward behaviors such as impulsivity and aggressiveness.

According to the scientists, it is important, especially in early puberty, to counteract alcohol consumption and binge drinking. Apparently the alcohol consumption in this sensitive phase and later psychological disturbances in a connection, write the authors in the journal Psicothema. However, it is not completely clear whether the alcohol causes these symptoms or whether people with certain personality traits tend to drink.
Heike Kreutz, aid