PAD/ODAP March 2010

Substance Use and its Relationship to

Physical Activity, Healthy Eating and Injury Prevention

and the impact on

Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Today’s workshop will:

• Introduce a framework which pulls together substance use and related issues under the umbrella of Physical Activity, Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being

• Allow us to consider how Substance use relates to components of Physical Activity, Healthy Eating and Injury Prevention

• Consider how this impacts on Mental Health and Healthy Living

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Living Skills:

Personal Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Critical and Creative Thinking

Health and Physical Activity Framework*

Active Living Movement Healthy Living

Physical and Mental Health and Emotional Well-being

*adapted from The Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum

Resiliency Building

Family School Community

Personal Safety and Injury Prevention

Healthy Eating

Substance Use, Addictions and Related Behaviours

Human Development and Sexual Health

Peers

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Active Living

Active Participation• Regular participation, life long activity• Enjoyment, motivation

Physical Fitness• Fitness development through regular physical

activity, personal fitness plans

Safety• Personal safety and safety of others during

physical activity

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Movement Competence

Movement Skills and Concepts• Stability, locomotion, manipulation• Body awareness, effort, spatial awareness• Movement principles

Movement Strategies• Components of physical activity• Strategies and tactics in physical activities

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Healthy Living

Understanding Health Concepts• Understanding the factors that contribute to

healthy growth and development

Making Healthy Choices• Applying health knowledge, making decisions

about personal health and well-being

Making Connections for Healthy Living• Linking personal health and well being to others

and the world around them

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Healthy Living

This strand focuses on the following four health topics:

• Healthy Eating

• Personal Safety and Injury Prevention

• Substance Use, Addictions and Related Behaviours

• Human Development and Sexual Health and the impact on overall Mental Health and well being

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Living Skills

Personal Skills

- self awareness and self monitoring skills- adaptive, management and coping skills

Interpersonal Skills

- communication skills- relationship and social skills

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Living Skills

Critical and Creative Thinking

- processing- planning- drawing conclusions/presenting results- reflecting/evaluating

PAD/ODAP March 2010

A “drug” is defined as anything other than food that changes how the body or the mind works.

Drugs are a broad category which can include substances such as:– prescribed medicines– over the counter medications such as cough

syrups, painkillers– caffeine, colas, tobacco and alcohol– marijuana, cocaine and party drugs.

Substance Use

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Current Statistics (from the 2009 OSDUHS)

Alcohol is the most commonly used drug by youth.

• 58.2% of students (grades 7-12) had used alcohol during the past year

• 22.5% of students drank more than once a month

• 24.7% of students reported having had 5 or more drinks at one sitting at least once in the month before the survey

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Current Statistics

Cannabis (Marijuana or Hash) is the second most popular drug.

• 25.6% of the students surveyed reported using cannabis in the previous 12 months

• 14.5% used cannabis six times or more during the past year

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Current Statistics

Non-medical use of Opioid Pain Relievers is the 3rd most popular.

• About 18% of students report using a prescription opioid pain reliever non-medically in the previous year

• Females (20%) are more likely than males (16%) to use an opioid pain reliever non-medically.

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Current Statistics

Tobacco is the fourth most popular drug.• 11.7% of students (grade 7-12) smoked in the

previous year

• 5% of students smoked one or more cigarettes daily

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Factors that influence Substance Use

The drug itself:

• Which drug is being taken?

• How much and over what period of time?

• Is the drug being taken alone or in combination with other drugs?

• How is being taken?

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Factors that Influence Substance Use

The Individual taking the drug:

• What is their age, gender, body weight and overall health?

• Mood or state of mind?

• Individuals expectations of the drug?

• Knowledge and experience with the drug?

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Factors that Influence Substance Use

The circumstance under which the substance is available and consumed:

• What is the setting?

• Availability of the drug?

• How drug is produced?

• How drug is promoted or advertised?

PAD/ODAP March 2010

PreventionA range of practices, strategies and interventions which aim to:• Avoid the use of substance(s)

– e.g. abstinence

• Delay the use of substance(s)– e.g. age of first time use

• Avoid or reduce the problems associated with the use of substance(s)– e.g. harm reduction

• Decrease the use of substance(s)– e.g. moderation

• Stop the use of substance (s)– e.g. cessation

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Resiliency

Lifton (1994) : identified resiliency as the human capacity of all individuals to transform and change, no matter what their risks; it is an innate “self-righting mechanism”

15 year old student (Resiliency in Action)

“Bouncing back from problems and stuff with more power and more smarts”

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Resiliency

Building Resiliency :

• Individual

• Family

• School

• Community

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Individual

• Self esteem• Trust, optimism, sense of hope• Sense of self reliance• Ability to handle stress• Sociability• Positive coping skills• Appropriate development for one’s age• Childhood competency – regular chores,

having a part-time job, etc

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Family

• Caring family

• One responsible adult throughout childhood

• Family Communication

• High parental expectations, support and supervision

• Strong extended family network

PAD/ODAP March 2010

School

• Provides stable and safe environment to learn

• Bond and engage positively with teachers and other students

• Nurtures commitment to learning and sharing with others

• Nurture social abilities and development of relationships

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Community

• Provide social support in the form of belonging, stability and continuity

• Meeting adults in the community who help them develop trust, autonomy and initiative

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Community• Provide support to parents in their

nurturing roles

• Provide an open, supportive and educational climate for the basic infrastructure where family life is lived (daycare, employment, recreation, etc) and a context where shared values and expectations are developed

PAD/ODAP March 2010

How does Substance Use Relate to :

•Physical Activity•Healthy Eating•Personal Safety and Injury Prevention•Sexual Health

And what is the impact on Mental Health and overall Wellbeing

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Physical Activity

• Team sports

• Individual sport

• School performance

• Personal fitness

• Chronic disease

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Healthy Eating

• Body Image

• Food choices

• Family engagement*

• Chronic disease

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Personal Safety and Injury Prevention

• Drinking and driving / boating / snowmobiling

• Marijuana use and driving

• Binge drinking

• Fights and aggression

• Sports

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Sexual Health

• Decision making

• Dating and relationships

• Unintended pregnancy

• Pregnancy

• Sexual harassment

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Mental Health and Emotional Well Being

• Social anxiety• Coping with stress• Self medicating• Depression• ADHD• Learning disabilities• Anxiety disorder

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Relationship between Substance Use and

Mental Health Disorders• Create

• Trigger

• Exacerbate

• Mimic

• Mask

• Independence

Reference-(Trupin &Boesky, 2001)

PAD/ODAP March 2010

Resources/Projects

• For the Record

• Taking Charge

• Check it out- Hook up

• What’s with Weed

• Strengthening Families for Parents and Youth

PAD/ODAP March 2010

References

The Ontario Curriculum- Health and Physical Activity

Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) – CAMH 2010

Overview of Youth Substance Use and Mental Health Problems - CAMH

Resiliency Canada

PAD/ODAP March 2010

ODAP and PAD

Joanne Brown

416-395-4970/1-877-265-9279

jbrown@parentactionondrugs.org

www.parentactionondrugs.org