Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and cannabis use after 1 year among students of the i-Share cohort

AbstractBackgroundCannabis use in university students is associated with academic achievement failure and health issues. The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and cannabis use after 1 year among students according...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: François Arnaud Matthieu Jean, Julie Arsandaux, Ilaria Montagni, Ophélie Collet, Mélina Fatséas, Marc Auriacombe, Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga, Sylvana M. Côté, Christophe Tzourio, Cédric Galéra
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2022-01-01
Series:European Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822000141/type/journal_article
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Summary:AbstractBackgroundCannabis use in university students is associated with academic achievement failure and health issues. The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and cannabis use after 1 year among students according to previous cannabis use.MethodsStudents in France were recruited from February 2013 to July 2020 in the i-Share cohort. 4,270 participants were included (2,135 who never used cannabis at inclusion and 2,135 who did). The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) was used to assess ADHD symptoms at inclusion. Cannabis use frequency was evaluated 1 year after inclusion. Multinomial regressions were conducted to assess the association between inclusion ADHD symptoms and cannabis use after 1 year.ResultsIncrease in ASRS scores was linked with a greater probability to use cannabis after 1 year and to have a higher cannabis use frequency (once a year—once a month adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.24 (1.15–1.34), more than once a month adjusted OR: 1.43 (1.27–1.61)). Among participants who never used cannabis at inclusion, this association disappeared (once a year—once a month adjusted OR: 1.15 (0.95–1.39), more than once a month adjusted OR: 1.16 (0.67–2)) but remained in participants who ever used cannabis at inclusion (once a year—once a month adjusted OR: 1.17 (1.06–1.29), more than once a month adjusted OR: 1.35 (1.18–1.55)).ConclusionsHigh levels of ADHD symptoms in students could lead to continued cannabis use rather than new initiations.
ISSN:0924-9338
1778-3585