Adolescent cannabis use was linked to depression, but more frequent use did not always mean worse depression
Among nearly 88,000 adolescents in a national survey, any cannabis use history was associated with higher rates of depression and suicide attempts, but the relationship between use frequency and depression was unexpectedly non-linear.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Adolescents with any cannabis use history had significantly higher rates of major depressive disorder and past-year suicide attempts. However, the association between use frequency and depression was counter to expectations: past-year users did not consistently show worse depression than those who used over a year ago.
Key Numbers
14,873 cannabis users vs 73,079 never-users. Cannabis users had significantly higher rates of lifetime MDD, past-year MDD, MDD with severe impairment, and past-year suicide attempts (all p values significant).
How They Did This
Analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2012-2017). 14,873 adolescents with cannabis use history were compared to 73,079 never-users using weighted logistic regression controlling for demographics and other substance use.
Why This Research Matters
The non-linear relationship between cannabis use frequency and depression challenges simple dose-response assumptions and suggests the cannabis-depression relationship is more complex than "more use equals more depression."
The Bigger Picture
The unexpected pattern between frequency and depression suggests that factors beyond simple exposure, such as reasons for use, social context, or self-medication, may drive the association between cannabis use and depression in adolescents.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish whether cannabis use preceded depression or vice versa. Self-reported data in adolescents may be unreliable. The frequency-depression pattern requires replication and further investigation.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does the non-linear pattern suggest that some adolescents use cannabis to cope with pre-existing depression?
- ?Could different motivations for use explain the unexpected frequency-depression relationship?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Any cannabis use linked to more depression, but frequency pattern was non-linear
- Evidence Grade:
- Strong: very large nationally representative sample with statistical controls, though cross-sectional design.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2020 in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
- Original Title:
- Relationship between cannabis use frequency and major depressive disorder in adolescents: Findings from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2012-2017.
- Published In:
- Drug and alcohol dependence, 208, 107867 (2020)
- Authors:
- Gukasyan, Natalie, Strain, Eric C(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02592
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis cause depression in teenagers?
This study found an association but cannot prove causation. Adolescents who used cannabis had higher rates of depression, but it is unclear whether cannabis caused the depression, the depression led to cannabis use, or both share common risk factors.
What was unexpected about the results?
The researchers expected a straightforward dose-response pattern where more frequent cannabis use would predict worse depression. Instead, the pattern was non-linear, with past-year users not consistently showing worse outcomes than those who used more than a year ago.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02592APA
Gukasyan, Natalie; Strain, Eric C. (2020). Relationship between cannabis use frequency and major depressive disorder in adolescents: Findings from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2012-2017.. Drug and alcohol dependence, 208, 107867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.107867
MLA
Gukasyan, Natalie, et al. "Relationship between cannabis use frequency and major depressive disorder in adolescents: Findings from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2012-2017.." Drug and alcohol dependence, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.107867
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Relationship between cannabis use frequency and major depres..." RTHC-02592. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/gukasyan-2020-relationship-between-cannabis-use
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.