Relación entre ansiedad, depresión y riesgo de consumo de sustancias en adolescentes escolarizados

Introduction: Adolescence represents a period of neurobiological and psychosocial vulnerability characterized by a high prevalence of internalizing disorders and the emergence of risk behaviors such as psychoactive substance use. Objective: To analyze the relationship between anxiety symptomatology, depression, and the risk level of substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis) in school-going adolescents using a multivariable predictive model. Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational-explanatory study was conducted on a stratified probabilistic sample of N = 480 students (52.1% female, 47.9% male) aged 12 to 18 years (M = 15.32, SD = 1.48). Instruments administered included GAD-7, PHQ-9, and WHO's ASSIST test. Inferential analysis encompassed Pearson/Spearman correlations and adjusted multivariable logistic regression in Python and SPSS. Results: Moderate-to-severe anxiety reached 32.5% and moderate-to-severe depression reached 38.3%. Moderate-to-high risk substance use was 28.8% for alcohol, 18.3% for tobacco, and 14.2% for cannabis. Significant positive correlations were found between affective distress and substance risk (r > .45, p < .001). The multivariable logistic model confirmed that severe depression (OR = 3.84, 95% CI: 2.15-6.86) and severe anxiety (OR = 2.91, 95% CI: 1.62-5.24) substantially increase overall substance risk. Conclusions: Internalizing affective symptomatology serves as a crucial and independent predictor of addictive behavior in school settings, emphasizing the urgency of comprehensive school mental health interventions