Nearly 80% of veterans with cannabis use disorder had a co-occurring mental health disorder
Among veterans diagnosed with cannabis use disorder, 79% also had a mental health disorder and 77% had another substance use disorder, with comorbid veterans using significantly more mental health services.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Of veterans with CUD (2010-2016), 79.1% had a comorbid mental health disorder and 76.8% had another substance use disorder. Veterans with CUD plus a mental health disorder used more individual psychotherapy than those with CUD alone. CUD was rarely an isolated diagnosis.
Key Numbers
79.1% comorbid mental health disorder; 76.8% comorbid substance use disorder. Veterans with CUD + mental health disorder used more individual psychotherapy than CUD alone.
How They Did This
Retrospective analysis of national Veterans Health Administration administrative and clinical records from 2010-2016 examining comorbidity rates and mental health service utilization among veterans with CUD diagnoses.
Why This Research Matters
CUD among veterans is almost never a standalone condition. Effective treatment requires addressing co-occurring disorders, and integrated treatment models may be more appropriate than treating CUD in isolation.
The Bigger Picture
The VHA, as the largest US healthcare provider, is uniquely positioned to integrate CUD screening and treatment into existing mental health services rather than treating it separately.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Administrative data may have coding biases; CUD diagnoses in the VA may be underreported due to stigma and federal prohibition; cannot determine temporal ordering of diagnoses.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would integrated CUD + mental health treatment improve outcomes?
- ?Is CUD being adequately screened for in VA mental health settings?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 79% had comorbid mental health; 77% had comorbid substance use disorders
- Evidence Grade:
- Large national VA dataset with complete administrative records, though subject to coding limitations.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2020.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis use disorder among veterans: Comorbidity and mental health treatment utilization.
- Published In:
- Journal of substance abuse treatment, 109, 46-49 (2020)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02525
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why do so many veterans with CUD have other disorders?
Cannabis use disorder in veterans rarely occurs in isolation. Mental health conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety are common in veteran populations, and these conditions often co-occur with and may drive substance use as a coping mechanism.
What does this mean for treatment?
It means treating CUD in isolation would miss the point for most veterans. Integrated treatment addressing both substance use and mental health disorders simultaneously is likely to be more effective than addressing them separately.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02525APA
Ecker, Anthony H; Lang, Brent; Hogan, Julianna; Cucciare, Michael A; Lindsay, Jan. (2020). Cannabis use disorder among veterans: Comorbidity and mental health treatment utilization.. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 109, 46-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2019.11.003
MLA
Ecker, Anthony H, et al. "Cannabis use disorder among veterans: Comorbidity and mental health treatment utilization.." Journal of substance abuse treatment, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2019.11.003
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis use disorder among veterans: Comorbidity and mental..." RTHC-02525. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/ecker-2020-cannabis-use-disorder-among
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.