Mapping the pathways between recreational cannabis use and mood disorders: A Behaviour Sequence Analysis approach
David Keatley, Isobel Walters, Adrian Parke, Tara Joyce, David D. Clarke
Health Promotion Journal of Australia May 27, 2019 DOI: 10.1002/hpja.261 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study using behavior sequence analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 61 |
| Population | Participants who wrote autobiographical accounts online about cannabis use and mental health |
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis |
| Keywords | Psychosis Mental health Clinical psychology Recreation Mood disorders Depression economics |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Cannabis use and mood disorders show a bidirectional temporal ordering, and cannabis use precedes and can exacerbate psychosis, depression, and anxiety. |
Abstract
ISSUES ADDRESSED: Although cannabis use is still illegal in most places around the world, it remains a widely used drug. The recreational use of cannabis has been linked to multiple mental wellbeing issues, including psychosis, depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to investigate the temporal dynamics of cannabis use in relation to mental health issues.
Methods: The current research uses a novel methodological approach, behaviour sequence analysis, to understand the temporal relationship between recreational cannabis use and surrounding issues related to mental wellbeing, in a sample of 61 participants who had written autobiographical accounts online.
Results: The results indicated a bi-directional temporal ordering between cannabis use and mood disorders. Cannabis use preceded psychosis and can also exacerbate symptoms of psychosis, depression and anxiety. Findings also suggested that low self-esteem may be a predictor of future cannabis use.
Conclusions: Research shows a link between mood disorders and recreational cannabis use. The BSA method can be used in applied settings to map pathways in individuals' life histories. SO WHAT?: The current study shows the sequential links between cannabis use and psychosis, depression and anxiety. Results show there is no single clear pathway and clinical practitioners should focus on a wider range of factors in individual's case histories.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patterns, Trends, and Meanings of Drug Use by Dance-drug Users in Edinburgh, Scotland Clubbers in clubs and pre-club bars | 2004 | Cross-sectional survey with focus groups | n = 124 |
| Predictive impact of different acute cannabis intoxication effects with regard to abstinence motivation and cessation of use Current and past cannabis users | 2023 | Mixed methods online survey | n = 441 |
| Beyond the Diagnostic Binary: A Translational Use of the Research Domain Criteria to Improve the Measurement of Anxiety in the Context of Cannabis Use Adult cannabis consumers, including medical (n=19) and recreational (n=11) consumers | 2026 | Mixed methods study | n = 30 |
| Beyond symptom change: a qualitative descriptive study of reported quality of life experiences among adults prescribed medicinal cannabis for anxiety disorders Adults with a diagnosed anxiety disorder who had initiated medicinal cannabis within... | 2026 | Qualitative descriptive study | n = 9 |