Mental Health and Substance Abuse Literature Research Paper

The relationship between mental illness and substance abuse
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Abstract
Drug abuse and usage are often products of chronic biochemical changes within the brain, which result in the creation and development of dependency. As it can be seen, there are two different directions through which drug addiction can be viewed; from the genetic perspective and the environmental or sociocultural perspective. There is always that link between the surrounding of an individual, and his or her subsequent response to drug use. The surrounding can also influence the predisposition to these drugs in one way or the other. By dissecting such factors, there can be a systematic deconstruction and hence understanding of how drug abuse and addiction occur, as well as how the entire process can be reversed and hence managed.
Substance abuse and mental disorder are two different health problems. Nevertheless, it is well established that people who experience mental disorder are prone to engage in substance abuse. Similarly, drug addicts are more likely to develop at least one form of mental disorder than non-drug addicts. Co-occurrence of substance abuse and mental disorder poses a significant effect on the affected individual; his/her close family members, and the state’s healthcare system. The relationship between mental illness and substance abuse is well demonstrated by; the significant role that mental illness plays in the establishment of substance use, how drug abuse motivates the emergence of mental disorder and the common factors that influence the emergence of drug abuse and mental disorder.
Introduction
Substance abuse and mental illness place a burden on individuals, society, and governments. Mental illness reduces economic productivity while also influencing the state of living of individuals and their loved ones. Similarly, substance abuse harms the productivity, brain functioning, and wellbeing of the involved people. When not addressed early, mental illness and substance abuse increase the mortally rate among individuals while also increasing the load on the healthcare system. When substance abuse and mental illness co-occur, the ensuing problems are usually magnified and more complicated, which increases the challenges that affect the treatment and management of affected people.
Although mental illness and substance abuse are two distinct health issues, several studies have shown that people who experience mental disorder are prone to drug abuse than people who do not suffer from any form of mental disorder (Kessler et al., 2017; Buckley, 2016). Conversely, drug addicts are more likely to suffer from various forms of mental illness than people who do not abuse substances. This paper aims to examine the link between substance abuse and mental illness by analyzing how mental illness contributes to the emergence of substance abuse, how substance abuse contributes to the development of mental illness and the common risk factors that simultaneously contribute to the occurrence of substance abuse and mental illness.
Literature review
The association between substance abuse and mental illness is complex. However, it is well established that approximately 50% of people with mental illness are usually affected by substance abuse while 53% of drug addicts suffer from at least one form of mental disorder (Buckley, 2016). According to Kessler (2017), there is a significant relationship between excessive alcohol consumption and depression but that association differs depending on the gender of the affected individual. The link between substance abuse and mental illness in men is stronger than in women because the majority of drug addicts are men. Although there are fewer studies on the association of substance abuse and mental illness among youths, Brown (2010) indicates that 55% of adolescents diagnosed with drug addiction also meet the diagnostic standard for at least one form of mental disorder. Therefore, substance use co-occurs at high prevalence with various mental disorders such as depression, borderline personality, and bipolar disorder.
Even though some studies established a clear association between substance abuse and mental illness, others did not find a definitive relation between mental disorder and substance abuse. For instance, Boyle et al. (2014) found no associations between the use of cannabis and tobacco and the occurrence of anxiety or depression in adolescents. The difference in the findings of various studies is attributed to the fact that the existence of a link between mental disorder and substance abuse does not imply that one caused the other. Establishing a cause-and-effect link between substance abuse and mental disorder is extremely difficult. For instance, an individual’s recollection of when substance abuse started may be incorrect, which makes it difficult to determine whether substance abuse resulted into mental illness or mental illness existed before the individual, became a drug addict.
How mental illness contributes to the development of substance abuse
All mental disorders are risk factors for developing drug abuse in the immediate future and substance use disorders in the long-run. For example, neurobiological changes in brain circuits that occur in people suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with drug cravings. As a result, it is universally hypothesized that people with sub-clinical, acute, or mild mental problems may use drugs as a means of self-medication. During self-medication, some drugs may temporarily reduce pain and the appearance of symptoms related to mental illness. However, other drugs can also aggravate symptoms of mental disorders in the long-run and acutely. For instance, people suffering from undiagnosed depression and anxiety often use various drugs thinking that they will help them cope with the illness by easing the symptoms and establishing better moods. In contrast, such drugs usually lead to numerous side effects and even worsen the symptoms and signs that they initially helped to relieve. Therefore, people suffering from undiagnosed mental illness end up becoming drug addicts because they are vulnerable when it comes to substance abuse and yet are not aware of the subsequent negative effects.
The impact of mental illness on the development of drug abuse is prevalent in teens because under-developed brains make them vulnerable. Numerous studies suggest that the presence of bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents presents a greater risk of developing substance use disorder compared to adults (Brown, 2010; Buckley, 2016). Correspondingly, adolescents usually suffer from internalizing disorders such as anxiety and depression before becoming drug addicts. However, since there is no definite cause-and-effect association between mental disorder and drug abuse, some studies argue that mental illness does not influence substance abuse in adolescents. For instance, Sartor et al. (2020) indicate that the prevalence nature of substance abuse in adolescents is due to environmental influences, genetic composition, and traumatic experiences rather than mental illness. Regardless, the presence of mental illness in any individual is a risk aspect for the establishment of substance abuse and other mental disorders.
How substance abuse contributes to the development of mental illness
Drug abuse and addiction lead to the emergence of mental disorders while also enhancing the symptoms and state of existing mental illness. According to Manchikanti and Singh (2018), 43% of people suffering from various types of mental disorders were previously diagnosed with nonmedical use of painkillers or excessive alcohol consumption. Generally, mental disorders are caused by a multifaceted interaction of various genes, the internal and external environment, and other risk factors. Therefore, if an individual is at risk of suffering from a particular mental disorder, abusing illegal drugs or alcohol automatically leads to the development of that mental illness. For example, the abuse of marijuana leads to psychosis while the abuse of opioid painkillers results in the development of depression and anxiety.
Furthermore, drug abuse worsens the condition of mental disorder patients by triggering new symptoms. The emergence of new symptoms is usually a sign of deteriorating health condition. For instance, the conventional symptoms of clinical depression are; trouble remembering and concentrating, feeling worthless, fatigue, and restlessness. If an individual suffering from clinical depression abuses nicotine, he/she begins experiencing a very low mood that is not associated with any aspect of life. The condition of such individual may eventually turn into Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), which is severe than clinical depression.
Additionally, substance abuse affects the functioning capability of prescribed medication. In the human body, the immune system is responsible for fighting diseases and any foreign object. However, substance abuse, especially excessive alcohol intake, disrupts areas of the brain and the immune system. In mental disorder patients, the presence of drugs and alcohol in the body makes medications such as mood stabilizers and antidepressants to be less effective. For instance, in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients’, the use of tobacco affect the functioning capability of amphetamine and methylphenidate while also encouragin...