The Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Common Mental Disorder Symptoms, and Its Impact on the Likelihood of Seeking Evidence-Based Treatment

Anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are currently some of the most common mental health diagnoses. In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of medical and recreational marijuana by individuals with these disorders; however, research has found that cannabis use is actually associated with the worsening of their symptoms. It has also been found among OCD patients, that frequent cannabis use is correlated with the decreased likelihood of an individual receiving evidence-based treatment for their symptoms. The principal aim of this study was to investigate how cannabis use impacts treatment-seeking behaviors in individuals with depression, anxiety, bipolar, PTSD, and ADHD symptoms, and to assess the relationship between cannabis use and symptom severity for each of these disorders. Hypothesis 1 proposed that individuals who report a higher level of symptoms for any of the five disorders will also report greater cannabis use than those with less symptoms. Hypothesis 2 was that those who frequently self-medicate with cannabis will be less likely to seek evidence-based treatment than those who report little to no cannabis use. An online survey was distributed to participants that contained several questionnaires that assessed their anxiety, depression, bipolar, PTSD and ADHD symptomology, their mental health-seeking intentions and experiences, and their cannabis use. There was not a significant association between cannabis use and treatment-seeking intentions for any of the five disorders. There was also no significant relationship between cannabis use severity and depression, bipolar disorder, or ADHD symptoms, contrary to prior research. Individuals who were exposed to cannabis at a younger age reported fewer anxiety symptoms, and those who reported less cannabis quantity in their use were found to have greater PTSD symptoms. These findings contradict previous research on the subject and indicate a more complex relationship between cannabis use and mental health symptomology than was previously understood.