Los Angeles, CA: Emotional problems in early childhood are predictive of teen marijuana use – particularly among females, according to longitudinal data published in the Open Journal of Medical Sciences.
Investigators affiliated with the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles assessed the relationship between early childhood depression and marijuana use by mid-adolescence. Participants’ baseline emotional problems, including feelings of hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts, were assessed at ages 9-10. Substance outcomes (marijuana and tobacco initiation) were tracked from baseline to follow-up at ages 14-15.
Researchers reported that childhood depression and other psychological factors significantly predicted future initiation of tobacco and cannabis. This relationship was especially significant among women.
“This study underscores the significant role of childhood depression, hopelessness, and suicidality in predicting the initiation of tobacco and marijuana use during adolescence,” researchers concluded. “Childhood depression, hopelessness, and suicidality may contribute to substance use through interconnected psychological, neurobiological, and social mechanisms. … The findings [of this study] emphasize the urgent need for policies that prioritize early mental health screening and intervention. … Investing in early mental health interventions, equitable policies, and multi-level approaches is critical for breaking the cycle of mental health challenges and substance use.”
The findings are consistent with those published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, which reported that adolescents who suffered from depression are more likely to use cannabis later in life, not vice-versa.
Full text of the study, “Childhood depression, hopelessness, and suicidal attempts predict earlier tobacco and marijuana use initiation during adolescence,” appears in the Open Journal of Medical Sciences.