Cannabis use and mental health-related quality of life among individuals with depressive disorders

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Itay Aspis - , Tel Aviv University (Author)
  • Daniel Feingold - , Sheba, Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, Ariel University (Author)
  • Mark Weiser - , Tel Aviv University, Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer (Author)
  • Jurgen Rehm - , Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), University of Toronto (Author)
  • Gal Shoval - , Tel Aviv University, Geha Mental Health Center (Author)
  • Shaul Lev-Ran - , Tel Aviv University, Sheba, University of Toronto (Author)

Abstract

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance among individuals with depressive disorders. This study aimed to evaluate whether among individuals with depressive disorders, higher frequency of cannabis use would be associated with poorer Quality of Life (QoL), based on a large nationally representative US sample. Individuals with depressive disorders (N=3416) were divided into categories according to no use (N=3096), occasional use (less than weekly, N=176) and regular (at least weekly, N=144) use of cannabis in the past 12 months. QoL was assessed using the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) questionnaire. Women who used cannabis regularly had a significantly lower SF-12 Mental Component Summary score (MCS) compared to non-users, with a mean difference of 0.4 Standard Deviations (SDs). Comparison of subscale scores showed no significant differences. No significant difference was noted when comparing women who used cannabis occasionally to non-users. No differences were found among men when comparing MCS and mental subscale scores of both regular and occasional users to non-users. Our findings highlight the importance of taking gender and the frequency of cannabis use into account, when assessing functional and emotional aspects of cannabis use among individuals with depressive disorders.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)341-349
Number of pages9
JournalPsychiatry research
Volume230
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 15 Dec 2015
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 26388103

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Cannabis, Depressive disorders, Dysthymia, Major depressive disorder, Quality of Life