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    Cannabis and depression: An integrative data analysis of four Australasian cohorts

    Access Status
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    Authors
    Horwood, J.
    Fergusson, D.
    Coffey, C.
    Patton, G.
    Tait, Robert
    Smart, D.
    Letcher, P.
    Silins, E.
    Hutchinson, D.
    Date
    2012
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
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    Citation
    Horwood, J. and Fergusson, D. and Coffey, C. and Patton, G. and Tait, R. and Smart, D. and Letcher, P. et al. 2012. Cannabis and depression: An integrative data analysis of four Australasian cohorts. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 126 (3): pp. 369-378.
    Source Title
    Drug and Alcohol Dependence
    DOI
    10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.06.002
    ISSN
    03768716
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41997
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Background: This study presents an integrative data analysis of the association between frequency of cannabis use and severity of depressive symptoms using data from four Australasian cohort studies. The integrated data comprised observations on over 6900 individuals studied on up to seven occasions between adolescence and mature adulthood. Methods: Repeated measures data on frequency of cannabis use (not used/depression scores were pooled over the four cohorts. Regression models were fitted to estimate the strength of association between cannabis use and depression. Fixed effects regression methods were used to control for confounding by non-observed fixed factors. Results: Increasing frequency of cannabis use was associated with increasing depressive symptoms (p < 0.001). In the pooled data weekly users of cannabis had depression scores that were 0.32 (95%CI 0.27–0.37) SD higher than non-users. The association was reduced but remained significant (p < 0.001) upon adjustment for confounding. After adjustment depression scores for weekly users were 0.24 (95%CI 0.18–0.30) SD higher than non-users. The adjusted associations were similar across cohorts. There was a weak age × cannabis use interaction (p < 0.05) suggesting that the association was strongest in adolescence. Attempts to further test the direction of causality using SEM methods proved equivocal. Conclusions: More frequent cannabis use was associated with modest increases in rates of depressive symptoms. This association was stronger in adolescence and declined thereafter. However, it was not possible from the available data to draw a definitive conclusion as to the likely direction of causality between cannabis use and depression.

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