Cannabis use in youth linked to depression, psychosis, and suicide in Australia and US
A scoping review of 24 studies found youth cannabis use associated with depression, psychosis, suicide, cognitive decline, and ADHD-related behaviors, with effects worse at higher frequency and earlier onset, though the anxiety link remained unclear.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Cannabis use in youth was associated with depression, psychosis, suicide, cannabis use disorder, cognitive decline, and externalizing behaviors (particularly ADHD). The cannabis-anxiety relationship was equivocal. Vulnerable groups included females, minorities, LGBTQI youth, African Americans, and Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander populations.
Key Numbers
24 articles analyzed. 2.8% of youth currently smoke cannabis. Mental health issues more prevalent with increased frequency, duration, intensity, and type of use.
How They Did This
Scoping review following JBI protocol, analyzing 24 articles from ProQuest Central and EBSCO databases, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, cohort, longitudinal, and cross-sectional studies from Australia and the US.
Why This Research Matters
With 2.8% of youth currently smoking cannabis and growing perception of harmlessness, documenting the mental health associations across two major English-speaking countries provides evidence for school and community prevention programs.
The Bigger Picture
The consistency of findings across Australia and the US, two countries with different cannabis policy landscapes, strengthens the evidence that these associations are not artifacts of a particular legal or cultural context.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Scoping review includes heterogeneous study designs with varying quality. Limited to Australia and US. Cannot establish causation. The equivocal anxiety finding may reflect measurement differences or bidirectional relationships.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why is the cannabis-anxiety relationship unclear when depression and psychosis links are more consistent?
- ?Do prevention programs that address cannabis risk perceptions actually reduce use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Depression, psychosis, suicide linked; anxiety unclear
- Evidence Grade:
- Scoping review of 24 studies provides broad evidence synthesis, but heterogeneous study designs limit the strength of specific conclusions.
- Study Age:
- 2024 scoping review of Australian and US studies
- Original Title:
- Cannabis Use and Its Impact on Mental Health in Youth in Australia and the United States: A Scoping Review.
- Published In:
- Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland), 5(1), 106-121 (2024)
- Authors:
- Baral, Aayush, Hanna, Fahad, Chimoriya, Ritesh, Rana, Kritika
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05113
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
Which mental health issues are most clearly linked to youth cannabis use?
Depression, psychosis, suicide, and cognitive decline showed the most consistent associations. Cannabis use disorder and ADHD-related behaviors were also linked. The relationship with anxiety was less clear.
Who is most at risk?
Earlier age of onset and higher frequency of use increased risk. Females, minority groups, LGBTQI youth, and Indigenous populations were identified as particularly vulnerable.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05113APA
Baral, Aayush; Hanna, Fahad; Chimoriya, Ritesh; Rana, Kritika. (2024). Cannabis Use and Its Impact on Mental Health in Youth in Australia and the United States: A Scoping Review.. Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland), 5(1), 106-121. https://doi.org/10.3390/epidemiologia5010007
MLA
Baral, Aayush, et al. "Cannabis Use and Its Impact on Mental Health in Youth in Australia and the United States: A Scoping Review.." Epidemiologia (Basel, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/epidemiologia5010007
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis Use and Its Impact on Mental Health in Youth in Aus..." RTHC-05113. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/baral-2024-cannabis-use-and-its
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.