2023-05-09 11:00:00
Cannabis consumption would promote the onset of certain mental illnesses in men under 30 at risk.
If the benefits of cannabis on certain pathologies are widely documented, we must not forget that it is still a psychoactive substance whose consumption is illegal in many countries. Also, like all substances of this type, it can be the cause of the triggering of certain mental disorders. A Danish study has just brought to light the fact that in many young men affected by schizophrenia, the onset of the disease could have been avoided without the consumption of cannabis.
7 million patients studied
It was a team of researchers from the Mental Health Services of Denmark and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) who looked at the effects of heavy cannabis consumption on mental health and more particularly schizophrenia. To do this, they went through the files of 7 million Danish nationals aged 16 to 49.
In published works in the scientific journal Psychological Medicinethey found a tangible link between the onset of schizophrenia and heavy cannabis use, especially among young men.
30% more risk
Indeed, among men aged 21 to 30, researchers found that without regular cannabis use, 30% of cases of schizophrenia affecting men in this age group could have been prevented.
In older men (16 to 49 years old), 15% of cases could have been avoided. A share that falls to 4% among women of the same age group. For researchers, the explanation is to be found in the way in which the brains of young men have not reached their maximum development.
Results to deepen
Those responsible for the study also indicate that these results should raise awareness of the problem in order to offer targeted support to people at risk. They also specify that if similar studies have already highlighted such a link, further work is needed to determine more precisely the mechanisms involved.
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