Marijuana Abuse May Up Risk of Depression
Related Topics
"Brian Sunderland" brian_sunderl...@bigfoot.com
Monday December 3 10:18 AM ET Marijuana Abuse May Up Risk of Depression By Suzanne Rostler NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adults who abuse marijuana may be putting themselves at risk for depression, results of a new study indicate.
According to the report, adults who were not depressed when the study began but who abused marijuana were about four times more likely to report symptoms of depression 15 years later, compared with their non-smoking peers.
These adults were especially likely to have had suicidal thoughts and report a lack of interest in things that once held their interest, Dr. Gregory B.
Bov***o reports in the December issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Pot smokers were four times more likely than their non-smoking peers to have suicidal thoughts, and white women were found to be at particular risk.
In the study, marijuana abuse was defined by various signs of problem pot use, such as impaired work performance or using the drug on the job.
Individuals who used other drugs such as amphetamines and opioids were about 8 to 10 times more likely to be abusing pot 15 years later. However, those who were depressed when the study began were no more likely to abuse marijuana later on, according to the report, which followed nearly 850 adults who were not depressed and more than 1,800 who did not report marijuana abuse at the study's start.
In an interview with Reuters Health, Bov***o suggested that future studies investigate how excessive pot-smoking leads to a higher risk of depression, examine why adults abuse marijuana and establish how much pot is enough to put people at risk of becoming depressed.
In the meantime, the findings ``underscore the importance of cannabis abuse prevention rather than treatment,'' because they highlight new cases of depression arising among marijuana abusers, the report concludes.
``Treatments or other interventions that prevent the abuse of cannabis from occurring in the first place are important,'' Bov***o said. ``On a general policy level, marijuana...may not be as harmless as many believe.'' SOURCE: American Journal of Psychiatry 2001;158:2033-2037.
"Evil" L...@YOU.com
hmm studies can be made to say anything you want them to,however while i do smoke pot i dont smoke it at times when i feel depressed.
i would like to thank lsd though for helping me get over some of my more peculiar fears though.
...
"Evil" L...@YOU.com
Oh may i also point out that i dont buy anything put out by anyone affiliated with psychiatry because they have a interest in getting people to take highly profitable pharmacuitical medications.
...
"babybitchcake" bi...@nah.com
whenever I smoke it, i get very depressed right afterwards. sometimes i feel like my life is a mess, till i come down. it's like it magnifies my problems and i can see them in clear view. i rather be ignorant so i stay away from it. :-/ I'd sooner have a mudslide or something sweet and mood altering.
"Scots Jim" no...@nowhere.com
I second that.
whiskers catwhee...@operamail.com
Ice cream is my recreational drug (maple syrup and walnut for special occasions)
--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~
"Debi Sacks" ili...@cox.rr.com
I agree with Heather. I've heard from many psychologists in the past that people who suffer from depression (and other mental illnesses) have a tendency to "self-medicate" with street drugs --- so where some teenagers might call their actions "experimenting" ---- there might actually be some "self-medicating" going on....
Debi
----------------------------------------------------------
...
| To Top |