Details

Published: 10 May 2023

Hits: 1066

Prospective associations between cannabis use and depressive symptoms across adolescence and early adulthood
Abstract: Cannabis use and occurrences of depression during adolescence are common. However, the temporal relationship between the two is less understood. Does depression lead to cannabis use, or does cannabis use lead to depression, or is it a combination of both? Furthermore, this directionality is confounded by other substance use, specifically binge drinking, which is common during adolescence. This study aimed to examine the temporal directionality of cannabis use and depression among a prospective, longitudinal, sequential cohort of 15 to 24-year-olds. Data were drawn from the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) study. The final sample included 767 participants. Multilevel regression models were run to assess concurrent (at the same time point) and prospective (1 year later) associations between cannabis use and depression. When measured concurrently, depressive symptoms did not significantly predict past-month cannabis use but did significantly predict more days of use among cannabis users. Prospective associations indicated that depressive symptoms significantly predicted cannabis use 1 year later and cannabis use significantly predicted depressive symptoms 1 year later. We found no evidence that these associations varied by age or binge drinking. Overall, the relationship between cannabis use and depression appears to be complex and not unidirectional
Conclusion: In this longitudinal study of a large sample of adolescents and young adults, we found that cannabis use is positively associated with depression, but the relationship appears to be complex and not unidirectional. Depressive symptoms were associated with more cannabis use in those already using cannabis, and frequency of use predicted greater depression symptoms 1 year later, even after adjusting for current levels of cannabis use. (Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178123001415?via%3Dihub)

Also see

• MARIJUANA MAY EASE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION – BUT ONLY MAKE YOUR DEPRESSION WORSE
• SMOKING CANNABIS IN YOUR TEENS IS LINKED TO DEPRESSION IN LATER LIFE
• Associations of Suicidality Trends With Cannabis Use as a Function of Sex and Depression Status
• High-strength cannabis linked to addiction and mental health problems

Details

Published: 09 May 2023

Hits: 1041

Cannabis & Motivation or Not or….
Testing the Amotivational Syndrome: Marijuana Use Longitudinally Predicts Lower Self-Efficacy Even After Controlling for Demographics, Personality, and Alcohol and Cigarette Use

• Take away:  The research team found that only marijuana (but not alcohol or tobacco) intake significantly and longitudinally prompted lower initiative and persistence and provides partial support for the marijuana amotivational syndrome.

Abstract:The marijuana amotivational syndrome posits that cannabis use fosters apathy through the depletion of motivation-based constructs such as self-efficacy. The current study pursued a two-round design to rule out concomitant risk factors responsible for the connection from marijuana intake to lower general self-efficacy. College students (N = 505) completed measures of marijuana use, demographics (age, gender, and race), personality (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and neuroticism), other substance use (alcohol and tobacco), and general self-efficacy (initiative, effort, and persistence) in two assessments separated by a month. Hierarchical regression models found that marijuana use forecasted lower initiative and persistence, even after statistically ruling out 13 pertinent baseline covariates including demographics, personality traits, alcohol use, tobacco use, and self-efficacy subscales. A cross-lagged panel model involving initiative, effort, persistence, alcohol use, cigarette use, and marijuana use sought to unravel the temporal precedence of processes. Results showed that only marijuana (but not alcohol or tobacco) intake significantly and longitudinally prompted lower initiative and persistence. Furthermore, in the same model, the opposite temporal direction of events from lower general self-efficacy subscales to marijuana use was untenable. Findings provide partial support for the marijuana amotivational syndrome, underscore marijuana as a risk factor for decreased general self-efficacy, and offer implications and insights for marijuana prevention and future research.
(Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28620722/

Details

Published: 05 May 2023

Hits: 1209

Young men at highest risk of schizophrenia linked with cannabis use disorder May 4, 2023

NIH study highlights the need to proactively screen for, prevent, and treat cannabis use disorder especially among young people.
Young men with cannabis (marijuana) use disorder have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, according to a study led by researchers at the Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health. The study, published in Psychological Medicine, analyzed detailed health records data spanning 5 decades and representing more than 6 million people in Denmark to estimate the fraction of schizophrenia cases that could be attributed to cannabis use disorder on the population level.
Researchers found strong evidence of an association between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia among men and women, though the association was much stronger among young men. Using statistical models, the study authors estimated that as many as 30% of cases of schizophrenia among men aged 21-30 might have been prevented by averting cannabis use disorder.
“The entanglement of substance use disorders and mental illnesses is a major public health issue, requiring urgent action and support for people who need it,” said NIDA Director and study coauthor Nora Volkow, M.D. “As access to potent cannabis products continues to expand, it is crucial that we also expand prevention, screening, and treatment for people who may experience mental illnesses associated with cannabis use…” 

For complete Media Release

Also see All Young Cannabis Users Face Psychosis Risk and Get-a-Clue Weed

Details

Published: 03 May 2023

Hits: 1149

The Association Between Tobacco and Cannabis Use and the Age of Onset of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Abstract
Purpose: No studies have prospectively explored the association between the use of tobacco or cannabis use and the age of onset of depressive or anxiety symptoms, and no studies have identified the peak ages and ranges of onset of these symptoms among tobacco and/or cannabis users.
Methods: This is a secondary analysis of Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance System data, waves 9-14 (2019-20121). Participants were in 10th grade, 12 th grade, and two years post-high school (HS) at baseline (Wave 9). Interval-censoring multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were fit to assess differences in the estimated age of onset of depression and anxiety by tobacco and cannabis use while adjusting for covariates.
Results: We found that lifetime or ever cigarette, e-cigarette, and cannabis use had an increased risk of an earlier age of onset of depressive and anxiety symptoms across the three cohorts, and the youngest cohort was the most differentially impacted by substance use. Between ages 18 to 19 years in the 10th-grade cohort, between ages 20 to 21 years in the 12th-grade cohort, and between ages 22 to 23 years in the post-HS cohort, the estimated hazard function (or cumulative incidence) for reporting depressive and anxiety symptoms almost doubled among lifetime cigarette, e-cigarette, and cannabis users.
Conclusions: Tobacco and cannabis users should be screened for mental health problems at an earlier age, especially those aged 18 years and younger, and provided with age- and culturally-appropriate resources to prevent or delay the onset of anxiety and/or depression symptoms.
Implications: The study's findings indicate that tobacco and cannabis use is directly linked to the early onset of depressive and anxiety symptoms among youth. This highlights the significance of early screening and substance use interventions, particularly for youth aged 18 years and younger, as they are disproportionately affected by both substance use and mental health problems. School-based interventions that are age- and culturally appropriate hold promise as they enable youth to seek professional help early, and in a supportive environment. Intervening early in substance shows promise in reducing the likelihood of developing mental health problems at a young age. (Source:National Library of Medicine April 2023)

Also see

• All Young Cannabis Users Face Risk of Psychosis
• Smoking cannabis in your teens IS linked to depression in later life: Major study reveals drug 'damages children's brains' and half a MILLION adults could avoid mental-health disorder if they had turned down marijuana
• CANNABIS USERS AT 'MUCH HIGHER' RISK OF DEVELOPING POOR MENTAL HEALTH