| dc.description.abstract | Objective: In the current study the interaction between ethnicity, cannabis use and mental health problems was examined. Expected was that participants immigrants would report more mental health problems than their Dutch native peers. Secondly, it was expected that participants who use or have been using cannabis report more mental health problems than participants who never used cannabis. Furthermore, we expect that immigrants who use or have been using cannabis experience more mental health problems than native participants who use or have been using cannabis and immigrants who have never used cannabis.
Methods: Participants were 11,100 Dutch secondary school children aged 10 to 25 years, who all filled out a questionnaire containing the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). This questionnaire assesses psychosocial adjustment of children and adolescents. Ethnicity was determined by country of birth. Cannabis use was divided into three categories, ‘never used cannabis’, ‘used cannabis once in their live’ and ‘used cannabis in the four weeks prior to the study’. Total SDQ score was used as a measure for experiencing mental health problems.
Results: As expected, both cannabis use and ethnicity were associated with mental health problems. However, an interaction between cannabis use and ethnicity on mental health problems was not found. After controlling for social economic status, severe life events, use of hard drugs and alcohol and smoking, ethnicity was no longer associated with mental health problems. The influence of cannabis use remained. Again, no interaction was found.
Conclusion: Immigrants status is not an independent risk factor for development of mental health problems. The association for ethnicity with mental health problems is mediated by severe life events. | |
