MedPage Today (8/2, Smith) reports that “teens who expected to die young were more likely to indulge in risky behavior, including substance abuse and attempting suicide,” according to a study published online in the journal PLoS One. In addition, “the expectation of poor survival at the beginning of the study…was associated with an increase in the risk of dying in young adulthood, with those who had a low expectation of surviving to age 35 having death rates that were double those experienced by respondents saying they were ‘almost certain’ to reach that age,” researchers reported. The study’s “findings come from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative survey that began with 20,745 adolescents in grades 7 through 12 during the 1994-1995 school year.”
Related Links:
— “Teens’ Gloomy Outlook Predicts Bleak Future, “Michael Smith, MedPage Today, August 1, 2012.