The association between major depressive disorder and cannabis use disorder: A meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis.
| Journal | Journal of psychiatric research |
| Study Type | Meta-Analysis |
| Population | Human participants |
This item covers developments relevant to cannabis medicine and clinical practice. Clinicians monitoring evidence in this area should review the source material.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) frequently co-occur, yet prevalence estimates vary widely across settings. This meta-analysis updates the evidence on the bidirectional association between MDD and CUD, emphasizing current-diagnosis subgroups, which are the most clinically relevant. Following PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciELO. Random-effects models estimated current-diagnosis prevalence of MDD among individuals with CUD and of CUD among individuals with MDD. Subgroup analyses differentiated psychiatric and community samples. Sensitivity analyses (leave-one-out) and Egger’s tests assessed robustness and publication bias. Meta-regressions evaluated demographic, methodological, and geographic moderators. In total, 55 studies comprising 3,279,774 individuals were included (454,547 and 112,328 living with CUD and MDD, respectively). Current MDD prevalence among individuals with CUD was elevated in both ps
“This is a development worth tracking. The clinical implications will become clearer as more evidence accumulates.”
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FAQ
How many studies and people were included in this meta-analysis?
The meta-analysis included 55 studies covering 3,279,774 individuals. Of these, 454,547 were living with cannabis use disorder and 112,328 were living with major depressive disorder. These two groups formed the basis for estimating how common each condition is among people with the other.
Why does the meta-analysis focus on current diagnoses?
The authors emphasize current-diagnosis subgroups because they are the most clinically relevant. The analysis looks at the association in both directions: how common current major depressive disorder is among people with cannabis use disorder, and how common current cannabis use disorder is among people with depression. It updates earlier evidence on this bidirectional link.
How did the researchers search for and combine the studies?
Following PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines, the researchers systematically searched PubMed, Google Scholar and SciELO. They used random-effects models to estimate current-diagnosis prevalence, and subgroup analyses separated psychiatric samples from community samples. Meta-regressions also evaluated whether demographic, methodological or geographic factors acted as moderators.
