The ARCH Lab recently published a paper titled “Psychological correlates and binge drinking behaviours among Canadian youth: a cross-sectional analysis of the mental health pilot data from the COMPASS study“.

This paper investigated the associations between depression, anxiety and binge drinking among 6570 Canadian Youth in grades 9 to 12 who participated in the Mental Health pilot of the COMPASS (Cannabis, Obesity, Mental Health, Physical activity, Alcohol, Smoking and Sedentary behavior) study.

Results suggested that binge drinking is a common issue among Canadian youth; more than one third reported binge drinking in the last year. Further, 41.4% and 31.7% of youth reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. An interesting finding was that anxiety and depression symptoms were not associated with binge drinking, instead, use of other substances (i.e. tobacco and cannabis) and sports team participation increased the likelihood of binge drinking behaviours.

Targeted intervention efforts towards student athletes and concurrent substance users are necessary for addressing binge drinking in youth populations.