6301 wk 9 assgn
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WK6Assgn_Shanks_L.docx2
The effects of Marijuana on the Mental Health of Adolescents: Literature Review
Lua Shanks
Dr. Leith
SOCW 6301
04/09/2023
Abstract
This study serves the purposes of investigating the effects of marijuana use on the mental health of adolescents. Cannabis consumption in the adolescents has become a major public health concern, thus the need to research the effects of the consumption on the mental health of adolescents .
The effects of Marijuana on the Mental Health of Adolescents: Literature Review
Introduction
Whereas there are studies that have focused on the general effects of marijuana use on adolescents, there are very few studies that given attention to the mental health effects of marijuana use in adolescents. For instance, Hall et al. (2020) in their research focused on the effects of cannabis use on the development of adolescents. The research which utilized neuroimaging studies, epidemiological studies, randomization studies, and case-control studies revealed that cannabis consumption in adolescents and young adults was associated with dependence and poor physical performance. The current study fulfills this gap by focusing on the effects of mental health. The current study also fills another significant gap by projecting the role of social workers in helping adolescents overcome the problem of marijuana use. Social workers occupy a critical position in helping members of society solve the problems affect both young and older individuals.
Review of Literature
Understanding the effects of marijuana on mental health of adolescents is necessary for social workers to identify solutions that can help this particular age group in society. Blest- Hopley et al. (2020) conducted a study that aligned with the research topic; however, they went an extra mile to determine the stage of development that was more vulnerable to the effects of marijuana. The results of their study conveyed that adolescents’ brains were more vulnerable to the effects of marijuana as compared to young adults. According to Blest- Hopley et al. (2020) marijuana use in the adolescent stage exposes the user to long-term psychological health problems. The brain undergoes significant changes during the stage and therefore introduction of cannabis causes serious negative changes in the functions and structure of the brain (Blest- Hopley et al., 2020).
Mental Health Effects of Cannabis in Adolescents
Dhein (2020) in his study also focused on the mental health effects of cannabis use in adolescents. Unlike Frolli et al. (2021) who investigated frequency of usage, Dhein (2020) investigated particular chemical compounds in marijuana or cannabis that could be linked to the mental health effects in adolescents who use the substance. According to Dhein (2020), there is a dominant substance called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis which also contains psychoactive ingredients. The compound induces the production of receptors that interfere with the release of neurons that support neuronal growth during the puberty stage (Dhein, 2020).
Gobbi et al. (2021) investigated the linkage between cannabis use and mental health effects such as suicidal ideation, the risk of depression, and anxiety in adolescents. The study that utilized a meta-analysis showed that consumption of cannabis in adolescents was linked to the risk of depression, suicidality, and anxiety. Gobbi et al. (2021) maintained that while the causes of these problems could be complex and multifactorial, their causes in adolescents were closely associated with cannabis use (Gobbi et al., 2021).
Lawn et al. (2022) took a similar stance to Blest- Hopley et al. (2020) who compared the mental health effects of cannabis use in adolescents and young adults. However, Lawn et al. (2022) used a cross-sectional analysis in their study. The results of their study indicated that the effects of cannabis consumption were more accentuated in adolescents as compared to young adults because neural and psychological developments are still taking place in the adolescent phase.
Refine and Focus
The literature has been quite insightful. The topic of the study comes out clearly to meet the current gaps in the study. While there is a lot of research on the effects of marijuana use on adolescents there is a need to focus on mental health effects. The focus is necessitated by the fact that adolescents are still in the growth stage where neural and psychological developments are still taking place. However, I would like to refine the research and focus on negative effects of cannabis use on the mental health of adolescents..
References
Blest-Hopley, G., Colizzi, M., Giampietro, V., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2020). Is the adolescent brain at greater vulnerability to the effects of cannabis? A narrative review of the evidence. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 859.
Dhein, S. (2020). Different effects of cannabis abuse on adolescent and adult brain. Pharmacology, 105(11-12), 609-617.
Frolli, A., Ricci, M. C., Cavallaro, A., Lombardi, A., Bosco, A., Di Carmine, F., ... & Franzese, L. (2021). Cognitive development and cannabis use in adolescents. Behavioral Sciences, 11(3), 37.
Gobbi, G., Atkin, T., Zytynski, T., Wang, S., Askari, S., Boruff, J., ... & Mayo, N. (2019). Association of cannabis use in adolescence and risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidality in young adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA psychiatry, 76(4), 426-434.
Hall, W., Leung, J., & Lynskey, M. (2020). The effects of cannabis use on the development of adolescents and young adults. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 2, 461-483.
Lawn, W., Mokrysz, C., Lees, R., Trinci, K., Petrilli, K., Skumlien, M., ... & Curran, H. V. (2022). The CannTeen Study: Cannabis use disorder, depression, anxiety, and psychotic- like symptoms in adolescent and adult cannabis users and age-matched controls. Journal of psychopharmacology, 36(12), 1350-1361.
