Abstract
Some evidence suggests that youth who use marijuana heavily during adolescence may be particularly prone to health problems in later adulthood (e.g., respiratory illnesses, psychotic symptoms). However, relatively few longitudinal studies have prospectively examined the long-term physical and mental health consequences associated with chronic adolescent marijuana use. The present study used data from a longitudinal sample of Black and White young men to determine whether different developmental patterns of marijuana use, assessed annually from early adolescence to the mid-20s, were associated with adverse physical (e.g., asthma, high blood pressure) and mental (e.g., psychosis, anxiety disorders) health outcomes in the mid-30s. Analyses also examined whether chronic marijuana use was more strongly associated with later health problems in Black men relative to White men. Findings from latent class growth curve analysis identified 4 distinct subgroups of marijuana users: early onset chronic users, late increasing users, adolescence-limited users, and low/nonusers. Results indicated that the 4 marijuana use trajectory groups were not significantly different in terms of their physical and mental health problems assessed in the mid-30s. The associations between marijuana group membership and later health problems did not vary significantly by race. Findings are discussed in the context of a larger body of work investigating the potential long-term health consequences of early onset chronic marijuana use, as well as the complications inherent in studying the possible link between marijuana use and health effects.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 552-563 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Psychology of Addictive Behaviors |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2015 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Keywords
- adolescent marijuana use
- long-term effects
- physical and mental health
- race differences
- trajectories of marijuana use
Cite this
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Chronic adolescent marijuana use as a risk factor for physical and mental health problems in young adult men. / Bechtold, Jordan; Simpson, Theresa; White, Helene R.; Pardini, Dustin.
In: Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Vol. 29, No. 3, 01.09.2015, p. 552-563.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Chronic adolescent marijuana use as a risk factor for physical and mental health problems in young adult men
AU - Bechtold, Jordan
AU - Simpson, Theresa
AU - White, Helene R.
AU - Pardini, Dustin
PY - 2015/9/1
Y1 - 2015/9/1
N2 - Some evidence suggests that youth who use marijuana heavily during adolescence may be particularly prone to health problems in later adulthood (e.g., respiratory illnesses, psychotic symptoms). However, relatively few longitudinal studies have prospectively examined the long-term physical and mental health consequences associated with chronic adolescent marijuana use. The present study used data from a longitudinal sample of Black and White young men to determine whether different developmental patterns of marijuana use, assessed annually from early adolescence to the mid-20s, were associated with adverse physical (e.g., asthma, high blood pressure) and mental (e.g., psychosis, anxiety disorders) health outcomes in the mid-30s. Analyses also examined whether chronic marijuana use was more strongly associated with later health problems in Black men relative to White men. Findings from latent class growth curve analysis identified 4 distinct subgroups of marijuana users: early onset chronic users, late increasing users, adolescence-limited users, and low/nonusers. Results indicated that the 4 marijuana use trajectory groups were not significantly different in terms of their physical and mental health problems assessed in the mid-30s. The associations between marijuana group membership and later health problems did not vary significantly by race. Findings are discussed in the context of a larger body of work investigating the potential long-term health consequences of early onset chronic marijuana use, as well as the complications inherent in studying the possible link between marijuana use and health effects.
AB - Some evidence suggests that youth who use marijuana heavily during adolescence may be particularly prone to health problems in later adulthood (e.g., respiratory illnesses, psychotic symptoms). However, relatively few longitudinal studies have prospectively examined the long-term physical and mental health consequences associated with chronic adolescent marijuana use. The present study used data from a longitudinal sample of Black and White young men to determine whether different developmental patterns of marijuana use, assessed annually from early adolescence to the mid-20s, were associated with adverse physical (e.g., asthma, high blood pressure) and mental (e.g., psychosis, anxiety disorders) health outcomes in the mid-30s. Analyses also examined whether chronic marijuana use was more strongly associated with later health problems in Black men relative to White men. Findings from latent class growth curve analysis identified 4 distinct subgroups of marijuana users: early onset chronic users, late increasing users, adolescence-limited users, and low/nonusers. Results indicated that the 4 marijuana use trajectory groups were not significantly different in terms of their physical and mental health problems assessed in the mid-30s. The associations between marijuana group membership and later health problems did not vary significantly by race. Findings are discussed in the context of a larger body of work investigating the potential long-term health consequences of early onset chronic marijuana use, as well as the complications inherent in studying the possible link between marijuana use and health effects.
KW - adolescent marijuana use
KW - long-term effects
KW - physical and mental health
KW - race differences
KW - trajectories of marijuana use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84942826858&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84942826858&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/adb0000103
DO - 10.1037/adb0000103
M3 - Article
C2 - 26237286
AN - SCOPUS:84942826858
VL - 29
SP - 552
EP - 563
JO - Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
JF - Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
SN - 0893-164X
IS - 3
ER -