Adolescents who experienced a major depressive episode within the past year were twice as likely to take their first drink or experiment with illicit drugs for the first time sometime during the same timespan, when compared to youths who did not experience clinical depression, according to research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

"Depression and the Initiation of Alcohol and Other Drug Use among Youths Aged 12 to 17," a report drawn from the findings of the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, estimated that 2.2 million U.S. youths suffered from major depression in the past year, meaning a depressive episode that lasted two weeks or longer with multiple symptoms.

The study found that 29.2 percent of youths who experienced depression took their first drink within the last year, compared to 14.5 percent of non-depressed youth. Also, 16.1 percent of youth who experienced a depressive episode used illicit drugs for the first time, compared to 6.9 percent of non-depressed youth.

The "Depression and the Initiation of Alcohol and Other Drug Use among Youths Aged 12 to 17" report is available online.