Depression at age 17 predicted cannabis use problems at 23 only in sexually diverse youth, fully explained by using cannabis to cope with negative emotions.
LGBTQ+ youth health providers, addiction prevention specialists, school counselors
What the researchers found
Depression symptoms at 17 predicted cannabis use problems at 23 among sexually diverse participants only, and this was fully mediated by coping motives. Coping motives were strongly predicted by depression in sexually diverse but not heterosexual youth. Enhancement motives predicted problems in both groups but weren't driven by mental health. Depression also predicted social motives in diverse youth only.
Why it matters
LGBTQ+ youth face disproportionate mental health burdens and substance use risks. This study identifies the specific pathway — depression driving coping-motivated cannabis use — which can be targeted by prevention programs.
The numbers in context
471 total participants (425 heterosexual, 46 sexually diverse). Depression at 17 predicted CU problems at 23 in diverse youth only. Coping motives fully mediated this pathway. Enhancement motives predicted problems in both groups.
How the study worked
Longitudinal data from Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development with self-reports at ages 17 and 23. Sample: 425 heterosexual and 46 sexually diverse participants assessed on depression, anxiety, cannabis use frequency, motives, and problems.
What this study cannot tell us
Small sexually diverse subsample (n=46) limits statistical power and generalizability. Quebec-specific context. Binary sexual diversity measure may obscure differences within LGBTQ+ communities. Self-report measures.
How to read the evidence
Longitudinal design with validated measures provides temporal ordering, limited by small sexually diverse subsample and potential for unmeasured confounders.
When this study was published
Published 2026 using Quebec longitudinal data from ages 17 to 23.
The bigger picture
The finding that the depression-to-cannabis-problems pathway exists specifically in LGBTQ+ youth suggests that minority stress — not just depression itself — creates unique vulnerability. Building coping skills beyond cannabis could break this cycle.
Questions still open
- Would teaching alternative coping skills to LGBTQ+ youth prevent cannabis use problems? Do these pathways differ across specific sexual minority identities? Would these patterns hold in a larger, more diverse sample?
Common questions
Why are LGBTQ+ youth more vulnerable to cannabis problems?
Can we prevent cannabis problems in LGBTQ+ youth?
Read the original research
Sexual diversity, adolescent mental health, and adult cannabis use: Longitudinal associations through cannabis use motives.
Addictive behaviors, 173, 108530
Citation
London-Nadeau, Kira; Pocuca, Nina; Rioux, Charlie; Chadi, Nicholas; Côté, Sylvana M; Fallu, Jean-Sébastien; Geoffroy, Marie-Claude; Huynh, Christophe; Juster, Robert-Paul; Séguin, Jean R; Castellanos-Ryan, Natalie. (2026). Sexual diversity, adolescent mental health, and adult cannabis use: Longitudinal associations through cannabis use motives.. Addictive behaviors, 173, 108530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108530
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