The Relationship Between Mental Health and Substance Abuse Among Adolescents

3.8.2 Behavioral Problems and Cigarette Smoking

Adolescents with serious behavioral problems were significantly more likely to report cigarette smoking than were those with intermediate or low levels of behavioral problems (Table 3.3). Adolescents with serious behavioral problems were over three times more likely to have smoked in the past month than were those with low problem scores. Past-month smoking was reported by 12 percent of adolescents with low levels of behavioral problems, by 22 percent of those with intermediate problem scores, and by 39 percent of those with the most serious behavioral problems. A similar pattern is indicated within specific age groups for both males and females.

Adolescents with high scores for behavioral problems were over four times more likely to smoke daily than were those with low scores (Table 3.3a). Daily smoking was reported by 3 percent of adolescents with low levels of behavioral problems, by 5 percent of those with intermediate problem scores, and by 13 percent of those with significant behavioral problems. Consistently, in the different age groups for both males and females, adolescents with high scores for behavioral problems have higher rates of daily smoking than do those with low scores.

This page was last updated on June 16, 2008.

SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.