WASHINGTON (Cox News Service) -- Young adults with depression are more likely to start smoking cigarettes, use illicit drugs, and abuse alcohol and pain medication than their peers, according to a study released Thursday.

In the past year, 3 million young adults in the United States have suffered one or more major depressive episodes, according to the study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The study found that these depressed young adults were 60 percent more likely to have started smoking cigarettes than others in their age group who had not experienced depression.

Similarly, they were twice as likely to have used illicit drugs than other young adults.

"Too often people turn to cigarettes or other substances to try to deal with depression, creating a 'double jeopardy' for the health and well-being of the individual," said Dr. Terry Cline, SAMHSA's administrator.

The federal agency's survey of more than 135,000 young adults also indicated that those who experienced depression were 35 percent more likely to start abusing alcohol and twice as likely to abuse pain medication as their peers.

"These findings show that our prevention and health promotion programs must take into consideration the potential mental health service needs of the population," Cline said.

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