Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Recent cannabis legalization poses an urgent need to understand associations between cannabis use and mental health, particularly among youth. This study examines the extent to which cannabis and other substance use among youth admitted to the hospital for mental health concerns is related to the severity and complexity of their mental health symptomatology on admission and how they use health services (e.g. number of mental health emergency visits and admissions, length of stay, outpatient service use). The study consists of three parts including: (1) a baseline questionnaire during hospitalization; (2) a 6-month follow-up questionnaire; and (3) retrospective (3 years) and prospective (6 months) chart reviews. 100 youth admitted to the inpatient unit at McMaster Children’s Hospital who were 13-18 years of age were recruited in Fall 2019 (~80% response rate). 66% of the youth had used cannabis with 50% using in the 3 months prior to admission and 18% using at least once a day. Chart reviews and follow-up surveys are ongoing. Profiles of substance use and associations with severity, complexity, and service use will be examined. Preliminary analyses suggest more recent substance use is related to greater severity of symptoms. This research may lead to changes in how youth cannabis use is considered when assessing and treating youth with acute mental health concerns.