Cannabis tied to self-harm, death in youth with mood disorders

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In a comment, Wilfrid Noel Raby, MD, PhD, adjunct clinical professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, noted that psychosis can occur in patients with CUD and mood disorders – especially bipolar disorder – but was not included as a study outcome. “I would have liked to see more data about that,” he said.

However, a strength of the study was that it included children aged as young as 10 years. “The trend is that cannabis use is starting at younger and younger ages, which has all kinds of ramifications in terms of cerebral development.”

Christopher Hammond, MD, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, said: “Three major strengths of the study are the size of the sample, its longitudinal analysis, and that the authors controlled for a number of potential confounding variables.”

In light of the findings, Dr. Hammond recommended clinicians and other health professionals who work with young people “should screen for cannabis-related problems in youth with mood disorders.”

Dr. Hammond, who is the director of the Co-occurring Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults Clinical and Research Program, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, and was not involved with the study, recommended counseling youth with mood disorders and their parents and families “regarding the potential adverse health effects related to cannabis use.”

He also recommended “open dialogue with youth with and without mental health conditions about misleading reports in the national media and advertising about cannabis’ health benefits.”

The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Fontanella reported receiving grants from the National Institute of Mental Health during the conduct of the study. Dr. Raby reported no relevant financial relationships. Dr. Hammond reported receiving research grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, the National Network of Depression Centers, and the Armstrong Institute at Johns Hopkins Bayview and serves as a scientific adviser for the National Courts and Science Institute and as a subject matter expert for SAMHSA related to co-occurring substance use disorders and severe emotional disturbance in youth.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.