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.
Young people, parents, policymakers, and anyone interested in how cannabis relates to educational and employment outcomes.
Cannabis use disorder OR: 0.97 (no association with being out of school and work)
What the researchers 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).
Why it 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 numbers in context
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 the study worked
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.
What this study cannot 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.
How to read the evidence
Moderate: large nationally representative sample with structured diagnostic interviews, but cross-sectional design.
When this study was published
Published in 2019, using 2012 data.
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.
Questions still open
- 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?
Common questions
Does cannabis make youth drop out of school or quit working?
What does predict youth being out of school and work?
Read the original research
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
Citation
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
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