Teens and young adults who have a history of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) seem to be at an increased risk for cannabis use disorders (CUD) including cannabis dependence and cannabis abuse. Atleast this is what the study authors from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine claim.
Earlier study has revealed that adults with PTSD appear to be three times more likely to have cannabis dependence in contrast to those without PTSD. However, very little may have been known about how teens and young adults are affected up till now.
“These findings demonstrate that major adverse life events, such as those seen in persons with PTSD, can contribute to the development of CUD among teenagers and young adults,” says Jack R. Cornelius, M.D., M.P.H., professor of psychiatry and pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
During the study, authors were believed to have analysed nearly 693 people over a period of 10 years, in which 31 people were diagnosed with PTSD and 161 diagnosed with CUD. The CUD subjects seem to have included 136 male and 25 female participants. The average age of onset of CUD appears to have been 16.7 years.
Further analyses showed that PTSD seems to be directly associated with the presence of CUD along with having deviant friends, such as those involved in illegal activities. These findings suggest that PTSD may perhaps contribute to the development of CUD among teenagers. Therefore, it appears to become necessary to suitably assess for PTSD among young people at risk for CUD.
The findings of the study have been published in the journal, Addictive Behaviors.