Cannabis use disorder was not linked to being out of school and work among Canadian youth
Among 5,622 Canadian youth, depression, anxiety, and other drug disorders were associated with being NEET (not in education, employment, or training), but cannabis use disorder and alcohol use disorder were not.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Being NEET was associated with depression (OR 1.67), generalized anxiety disorder (OR 2.65), and other drug use disorder (OR 3.22), but was not associated with cannabis use disorder (OR 0.97) or alcohol use disorder (OR 1.03).
Key Numbers
5,622 Canadian youth, ages 15-29. ~10% were NEET. Cannabis use disorder OR: 0.97 (95% CI: 0.47-2.00). Depression OR: 1.67. Generalized anxiety OR: 2.65. Other drug use disorder OR: 3.22. Alcohol use disorder OR: 1.03.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional analysis of 5,622 youth aged 15-29 from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health, using structured interviews for past-year mental and substance disorders with logistic regression adjusted for sociodemographic, health, and geographic variables.
Why This Research Matters
The assumption that cannabis use drives youth out of productive activity is not supported here. Mental health disorders, not cannabis or alcohol, were the conditions most strongly associated with youth disengagement from school and work.
The Bigger Picture
Policy discussions often focus on cannabis as a barrier to youth productivity, but this data suggests mental health conditions like anxiety and depression are far more relevant. Addressing NEET youth may require mental health interventions rather than substance use reduction.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation or directionality. Cannabis use disorder may be underreported. "Other drug use disorder" category is broad. Single timepoint from 2012 before Canadian legalization.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would these findings change after Canadian cannabis legalization?
- ?Does the relationship between cannabis and NEET differ by frequency or severity of use?
- ?Are mental health disorders the cause of NEET status, or does being disengaged worsen mental health?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis use disorder OR: 0.97 (no association with being out of school and work)
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: large nationally representative sample with structured diagnostic interviews, but cross-sectional design.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2019, using 2012 data.
- Original Title:
- The Mental Health of Young Canadians Who Are Not Working or in School.
- Published In:
- Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 64(5), 338-344 (2019)
- Authors:
- Gariépy, Geneviève, Iyer, Srividya
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02044
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis make youth drop out of school or quit working?
This Canadian study found no association between cannabis use disorder and being out of education, employment, or training. Depression and anxiety were much stronger predictors of youth disengagement.
What does predict youth being out of school and work?
Mental health conditions were the strongest predictors: generalized anxiety (2.65x risk), other drug use disorders (3.22x), and depression (1.67x). Neither cannabis nor alcohol use disorders were significant.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02044APA
Gariépy, Geneviève; Iyer, Srividya. (2019). The Mental Health of Young Canadians Who Are Not Working or in School.. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 64(5), 338-344. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743718815899
MLA
Gariépy, Geneviève, et al. "The Mental Health of Young Canadians Who Are Not Working or in School.." Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743718815899
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "The Mental Health of Young Canadians Who Are Not Working or ..." RTHC-02044. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/gariepy-2019-the-mental-health-of
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.