Substance Use

Participants actively using non-prescribed drugs or alcohol can be recruited and retained in observational studies when appropriately supported. Cluster 3 had almost no smoking or alcohol use but the highest odds of depression. The cluster pattern suggests substance use was not the main driver of depression risk. Substance use for loneliness is comparable to drinking salt water when thirsty — it compounds the problem. Self-report methodology introduces potential recall bias and social desirability bias in measuring substance use behaviours, though online administration may reduce these effects compared to in-person interviews. Adolescence is when substance use problems most commonly emerge, often persisting with lasting effects into adulthood. Drug-related depletion of gut flora can enable dietary sugar and starch to feed gut yeasts. Substances function as misery stabilizers, providing temporary relief from disconnection without addressing the root cause. Substance use can increase risk by worsening emotional instability and reducing inhibition. For NSSI, substance use may operate both as coping for emotional pain and as a disinhibitor of impulsive self-harm. Health-risk behaviour…