The strengthening association between youth cannabis use and psychological distress over time with André McDonald

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr André McDonald, postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University’s Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Canada. The interview covers André’s research article looking at adolescent cannabis use and psychological distress from 2013 to 2023 using a population-based study in Ontario, Canada.

• Psychological distress and why it is important with regards to cannabis [01:19]
• Why cannabis potency is important in the relationship between psychological distress and cannabis [02:06]
• The prevalence of youth cannabis use over the decade of the study [03:54]
• The Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey [04:45]
• The key findings of the study [05:24]
• The results of additive and multiplicative interactions [07:07]
• Unpacking the dose-response curve among females [09:07]
• The implications of the findings for policy [11:31]
• The limitations of the study [12:29]
• Take home messages of the study [14:00]

About Elle Wadsworth: Elle is an academic fellow with the Society for the Study of Addiction. She is based at the University of Bath with the Addiction and Mental Health Group and her research interests include drug policy, cannabis legalisation, and public health.

About André McDonald: André, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University’s Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research. André’s research examines the intersection between mental health and addictions among youth, with a focus on the link between cannabis use and risk of mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. André completed his PhD at the University of Toronto and is currently supported by a Fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Original article: Adolescent cannabis use and psychological distress from 2013 to 2023: A population-based study in Ontario, Canada https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70333

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Music provided by Jack Shakespeare.

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