Published on
Updated
Reading 3 mins.
in collaboration with
Dr. Joachim Müllner (Psychiatrist)
According to a large Danish study, the association between cannabis use and serious mental disorders is demonstrated in 30% of young men with schizophrenia.
Cannabis and the onset of mental disorders can be intimately linked, the idea is not new but the extent of the phenomenon may have been underestimated according to a recent Danish study. According to this research, 30% of cases of schizophrenia in men aged 21 to 30 could have been prevented by avoiding cannabis use disorders.
The age group from 21 to 30 is the most affected
Previous studies have linked early and frequent cannabis use to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. But few studies have so far looked at differences based on gender and age.
The researchers analyzed data from national health registers covering 5 decades and representing more than 6 million people in Denmark. Using these nationally representative data, researchers assessed the proportion of schizophrenia cases that could be attributed to cannabis use disorder at the population level, including by gender, age, and how these differences changed over time.
The team estimated that:
- 15% of schizophrenia cases in men aged 16-49 could have been prevented in 2021 by preventing cannabis use disorders, compared to 4% in women aged 16-49;
- For young men aged 21 to 30, the proportion of preventable cases of schizophrenia associated with problematic cannabis use was as high as 30%.
A risk more highlighted today
The authors thus emphasize that cannabis use disorders constitute a major modifiable risk factor for schizophrenia at the population level, particularly among young men.
“The increase in the legalization of cannabis over the past decades has made it one of the most frequently used psychoactive substances in the world, while decreasing public perception of its harms. This study highlights that the consumption of cannabis is not harmless and that the risks may change over time”, said Carsten Hjorthøj, Ph.D., lead author of the study.
Dr. Joachim Mullner, psychiatrist, and member of our expert committee notes the conclusions of this study:
“It has now been known for a long time and clearly that the use of cannabis increases the risk of developing schizophrenia in people at risk. This study therefore reaffirms this result but also specifies the fact that this risk is even more present in men than in women.
But our expert qualifies the authors’ conclusions somewhat.
“It is of course impossible to compare the fate of an individual who has smoked cannabis with his other parallel fate, if he had not smoked… These results are therefore approximations obtained using Statistical tools are complex and must be taken with measure. But they have the merit of giving an estimate of the importance of the impact of cannabis consumption on the health of young people, in particular on those who are at the preferential age. declaration of schizophrenic disorder: between 16 and 25 years old”.
One more argument to emphasize prevention
For the authors of the study, this discovery is above all to add to the arguments in favor of better prevention of cannabis consumption and better screening for mental illnesses: “As access to potent cannabis products continues to expand, it is crucial that we also expand prevention, screening and treatment for people who may be suffering from mental illnesses associated with its use. of this study are a step in that direction and can help inform the decisions health authorities can make in caring for patients, as well as the decisions individuals can make regarding their own cannabis use.” they conclude.