Cannabis use and depression predicted which young Swiss men became unemployed and out of school
Among nearly 5,000 young men, cannabis use and mental health problems preceded becoming disengaged from work and education, not the other way around.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
This study tracked 4,758 young Swiss men in their early 20s to understand what leads to becoming "NEET" (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). At baseline, 6.1% were NEET; at follow-up, 7.4% were NEET, but only 1.4% were NEET at both time points, suggesting it was usually temporary.
The longitudinal analysis found that cannabis use, daily smoking, and depressive symptoms at baseline predicted later NEET status. But being NEET did not predict later increases in substance use or mental health problems. The causal direction appeared to go one way: substance use and mental health led to disengagement, not the reverse.
NEET youth differed from their peers only on substance use and depression, not on personality traits.
Key Numbers
4,758 young Swiss men studied. 6.1% NEET at baseline, 7.4% at follow-up. Only 1.4% NEET at both time points. Cannabis use, daily smoking, and depression all predicted later NEET status.
How They Did This
Part of the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors, this study used a repeated-measures design with baseline and follow-up assessments. Researchers used cross-lagged panel models to test bidirectional relationships between NEET status, mental health, and substance use in 4,758 young Swiss men in their early 20s.
Why This Research Matters
Understanding whether substance use drives disengagement from work and school, or whether disengagement drives substance use, has direct implications for where to target prevention efforts. These findings suggest intervening on cannabis use and mental health before young people drop out of productive roles.
The Bigger Picture
Youth disengagement from education and employment is a concern across developed countries. This study adds evidence that substance use and mental health are upstream factors rather than consequences of being NEET, which supports early intervention approaches targeting cannabis use and depression in at-risk young people.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
The sample included only young men from Switzerland, limiting generalizability to women and other cultural contexts. Self-reported substance use may undercount actual use. The NEET definition does not distinguish between voluntary and involuntary disengagement.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do these patterns hold for young women?
- ?Would treating depression and cannabis use disorder in this age group reduce NEET rates?
- ?Are there specific levels of cannabis use that cross a threshold into predicting disengagement?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 6.1% NEET at baseline; cannabis use predicted later NEET status
- Evidence Grade:
- Longitudinal cohort study with nearly 5,000 participants and cross-lagged modeling to test causal direction.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2015 using data from Swiss military conscripts.
- Original Title:
- Not in Education, Employment, or Training status among young Swiss men. Longitudinal associations with mental health and substance use.
- Published In:
- The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 56(2), 238-43 (2015)
- Authors:
- Baggio, Stéphanie(4), Iglesias, Katia, Deline, Stéphane, Studer, Joseph, Henchoz, Yves, Mohler-Kuo, Meichun, Gmel, Gerhard
- Database ID:
- RTHC-00906
Evidence Hierarchy
Follows a group of people over time to track how outcomes develop.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis use cause young people to drop out of work and school?
This study found cannabis use predicted later disengagement from education and employment, but it was an association study and cannot confirm direct causation. Other factors may also contribute.
Is being NEET permanent?
In this sample, it was usually temporary. Only 1.4% of participants were NEET at both time points, suggesting most returned to education or employment.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-00906APA
Baggio, Stéphanie; Iglesias, Katia; Deline, Stéphane; Studer, Joseph; Henchoz, Yves; Mohler-Kuo, Meichun; Gmel, Gerhard. (2015). Not in Education, Employment, or Training status among young Swiss men. Longitudinal associations with mental health and substance use.. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 56(2), 238-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.09.006
MLA
Baggio, Stéphanie, et al. "Not in Education, Employment, or Training status among young Swiss men. Longitudinal associations with mental health and substance use.." The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.09.006
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Not in Education, Employment, or Training status among young..." RTHC-00906. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/baggio-2015-not-in-education-employment
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.