Health Alert Psychiatrists Boom Psychopharmaceuticals Amp039recreationalamp039 Among Boys

Milan, 25 January (Adnkronos Salute) - They purchase them online or retrieve them from their home locker if they don't have access to either of those options. Additionally, they make use of them with friends in the evenings.

Mental health medications used for "recreational" purposes are the new high. The Italian Society of neuro-psycho-pharmacology (Sinpf) has raised concerns about the rise in this practice among its experts, who are meeting today in Milan and Venice.

Even for children and adolescents, they emphasize the importance of pharmacological treatments in the field of mental health. In all fields of study for this age group, research has advanced dramatically.

However, the situation changes when these drugs are taken away and used improperly, without any supervision, as a new method of exceeding the limits. He "puts his health and his life at risk" as a result, experts caution.

They estimate that over the past five years, the phenomenon has "grown steadily," increasing by between 15 and 20 percent. This has also been made possible by how simple it is to locate the relevant medications.

In fact, these drugs are too frequently available at home (42 percent), easily obtained online (28 percent), and recovered on the street (22 percent), eluding the supervision of adults and medical professionals, according to the Espad study by the Institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Research Council (Cnr). Consumption that would have significantly exceeded 6 percent in the most recent period, including after the pandemic effect, would have affected at least 10 percent of young people, fostering an addiction that is also linked to the negative effects of other psychoactive substances (tobacco, energy drinks, benzodiazepines, and drugs), as well as the emergence of risky behaviors.

These statistics have consequently prompted the Sinpf experts to also offer a series of recommendations through a handbook intended for citizens, parents, kids, and even doctors. Psychiatrists recommend the following five measures to prevent the misuse of psychotropic medications.

No to "do it yourself" and so-called "opportunity hiring"; always consult your doctor; 2. Do not undervalue its therapeutic power and significant side effects; 3. Keep them out of the reach of anyone who could abuse them; 4. launch awareness campaigns and counseling aimed at patients, young people in particular, and citizens in general; 5. In the event of disorders like anxiety, depression, or mood disorders, always follow the specialist's instructions; 6. According to Matteo Balestrieri, co-president of the Sinpf and full professor of psychiatry at the University of Udine, "These psychiatric drugs represent an anchor of reassurance for many." He lists the erroneous uses seen in young people, including: "to increase school performance and of attention, to improve physical appearance when combined with dietary drugs, to enhance levels of self-esteem, to feel fit, improving sleep and mood.".

These are the motivational forces driving these young people "to hire them by escaping from family control, found in safe places, like the home in the case of family members who already use them, or in other much more insidious ways, like the web and the street, of a new and more modern shop, with real risks of overdose.". The expert continues, "Unfortunately, this trend is becoming more and more pervasive among young people, and the data from the Espad study shows that even Italian children are not immune to it.".

Having said that, Claudio Mencacci, director emeritus of psychiatry at the Fatebenefratelli Hospital in Milan and co-president of Sinpf, continues, "psychiatric drugs, together with a 360-degree therapeutic path, are essential for treating mental illnesses even in young and very young people. There is no cause for it, so there is no need to be afraid of it, he says, adding that many pathologies in young people that are treated early on ensure their future.

On the other hand, if these treatments are applied with different strategies and goals, they are ineffective and, more importantly, can have detrimental effects. We are all concerned about how easy it is for young people to obtain psychotropic drugs outside of the legal system. Female students use all types of drugs more frequently than male students do, with a minimum gender ratio of 1:8 for attention-related drugs and more than triple (3:4) when looking at diet-related drugs.

In general, according to the report, 18% of students used at least one illegal psychoactive substance in 2021; 28% of students reported using it frequently; and nearly 10% of students identified as "multi-users"—those who used at least two drugs in the previous year—were reported. The most widespread illegal substance is cannabis, followed by the so-called 'New Psychoactive Substances', synthetic substances that mimic the effects of other better known substances.

When examining those for diets, pay close attention and more than triple (3.4). In general, according to the report, 18% of students used at least one illegal psychoactive substance in 2021; 28% of students reported using it frequently; and nearly 10% of students identified as "multi-users"—those who used at least two drugs in the previous year—were reported.

Cannabis is the illegal substance that is used most frequently, followed by the so-called "New Psychoactive Substances," which are artificial substances that imitate the effects of other, better-known drugs. When examining those for diets, pay close attention and more than triple (3.4).

In general, according to the report, 18% of students used at least one illegal psychoactive substance in 2021; 28% of students reported using it frequently; and nearly 10% of students identified as "multi-users"—those who used at least two drugs in the previous year—were reported. Cannabis is the illegal substance that is used most frequently, followed by the so-called "New Psychoactive Substances," which are artificial substances that imitate the effects of other, better-known drugs.

in the previous 12 months, consuming at least two drugs. Cannabis is the illegal substance that is used most frequently, followed by the so-called "New Psychoactive Substances," which are artificial substances that imitate the effects of other, better-known drugs.