Takeaway
- Adolescents who use cannabis had a significantly greater risk for depression, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide later in life.
- There was no increased risk for anxiety associated with adolescent cannabis use.
Why this matters
- One-fifth of US adolescents report monthly cannabis use.
Study design
- This meta-analysis evaluated 11 longitudinal and prospective studies (comprising 23,317 individuals) that assessed cannabis use during adolescence (
- Association between cannabis use in adolescents and development of depression in young adulthood (18-32 years old) was assessed.
- Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Quebec Network on Suicide, Mood Disorders and Related Disorders.
Key results
- Cannabis use vs nonuse during adolescence was associated with an increased risk of developing depression in young adulthood (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.16-1.62; I2, 0%).
- Cannabis use was also associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.11-2.03; I2, 0%) and attempted suicide later in life (OR, 3.46; 95% CI, 1.53-7.84; I2, 61.3%).
- Association between cannabis and risk of developing anxiety was not significant (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.84-1.67; I2, 42.0%).
Limitations
- Strong causal association between cannabis use and later depressive disorder could not be established.
- Heterogeneity among studies in methods of detecting major depressive disorder.
Coauthored with Antara Ghosh, PhD
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