Heavy cannabis use linked to increased risk of developing a new anxiety disorder

 Introduction of Article


The study looked at health data of 12 million people between January 2008 and March 2019 and found that 27.5 per cent of people who visited an emergency room for cannabis use developed an anxiety disorder for the first time within three years.





About Article :

Twenty-seven percent of individuals who had an emergency department visit for cannabis use developed a new anxiety disorder within three years, according to new research.



Led by researchers at the Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa Department of Family Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, and ICES, this is the largest study of the relationship between cannabis use and anxiety to date. The study published today in The Lancet's open access journal eClinical Medicine included over 12 million individuals living in Ontario, Canada, between 2008 and 2019 who had never received a diagnosis or treatment for anxiety. The researchers used health record data from ICES to compare the risk of developing an anxiety disorder for individuals who had an emergency department (ED) visit for cannabis use compared to the general population.


Key findings of the study include:

  • Risk of a new anxiety disorder: Within three years, 27.5 percent of individuals who had an ED visit for cannabis use were diagnosed with a new anxiety disorder in an outpatient, ED or hospital setting compared to 5.6 percent of the general population-;a 3.9 fold increased risk after accounting for social factors and other mental health diagnoses. 
  • Risk of severe or worsening anxiety disorders: Within three years, 12.3 percent of individuals who had an ED visit for cannabis use had a hospitalization or an emergency department visit for an anxiety disorder compared to 1.2 percent of the general population-;a 3.7 fold increased risk after accounting for social factors and other mental health diagnoses. 
  • In individuals with an ED visit where cannabis was the main reason for a visit, the risk of having a hospitalization or ED visit for an anxiety disorder increased by 9.4 fold compared to the general population.
  • Men and women and individuals of all ages with an ED visit for cannabis use were at elevated risk of developing new anxiety disorders relative to the general population. Importantly, younger adults (10-24 years) and men were at particularly elevated risk.



Conclusion :


Cannabis use has rapidly increased in Canada over the past 15 years and there is a general sense that cannabis is relatively harmless or has health benefits. There is an ongoing debate about whether cannabis use causes individuals to develop anxiety disorders or if part of the relationship between cannabis use and anxiety reflects individuals self-medicating anxiety symptoms with cannabis.




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