America faces a dual crisis: a drug crisis and a mental health crisis. Both affect and worsen the other. During Mental Health Awareness Month, those on the front lines of these crises unite with legislators to recognize the bidirectional relationship between substance use and mental illness, and chart a path to increasing access to treatments that address the root causes. That is important. .
The relationship between drug use and mental health problems goes both ways. As the National Institute on Drug Abuse points out, “many people who develop a substance use disorder (SUD) also have a diagnosed mental disorder, and vice versa.” People with mental health problems are more likely to use drugs, perhaps to cope or self-medicate. And because many illegal drugs have inherent risks, drug users are more likely to develop mental health problems.
The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 57 percent of people 18 and older with a substance use disorder have a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder other than a developmental or substance use disorder. It was revealed that he also suffered from mental illness. . His 22% of adults with substance use disorders had severe mental illness.
Similarly, nearly one in four people over the age of 18 with some form of mental illness has a substance use disorder, and more than a third of people with a serious mental illness report using drugs. I had a disability. By comparison, adults with a mental illness are more than four times as likely to have a substance use disorder, whereas only 5.5 percent of people without a mental illness have a substance use disorder. did.
Beyond the association between diagnoses, different types of drugs pose different risks to users. The American Center on Addiction warns that “Both cocaine and crack cocaine can cause brain damage after just a few uses.” Additionally, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “The most common psychiatric disorders that co-occur with cocaine are: [alcohol use disorder] These are depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma and stress-related disorders, other substance use disorders, and sleep disorders. ”
As President Joe Biden seeks to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, it is important to investigate the associated mental health risks. Scientific and medical data are increasingly linking today’s powerful THC drugs to a range of adverse health effects. According to the CDC, marijuana use is “associated with depression, social anxiety, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and suicide.”
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More specifically, a growing number of studies identify a link between marijuana and psychosis. Daily users of marijuana with more than 10 percent THC are nearly five times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder than non-users. A 2023 Danish study found that 30 percent of cases of schizophrenia in men ages 21 to 30 could have been avoided if cannabis use disorder had been prevented. A 2022 study found that states with legalized marijuana have more hospital discharges for marijuana-related psychosis, another harbinger of what might happen if those pushing for full-scale commercialization get their way.
Although many people narrowly assess the risks of drugs based solely on the potential for overdose, such as with opioids, drugs also pose many risks to mental health. Drug-induced illnesses can be lifelong and can impair users’ ability to lead healthy, fulfilling and independent lives.
Many people mistakenly believe that marijuana, hallucinogens, and other psychoactive drugs can improve mental health. Data shows that, outside of tightly controlled clinical trials of certain psychedelic drugs, they have the opposite effect. Smoking marijuana makes anxiety worse, not less. The American Psychiatric Association issued a statement in July 2022 stating, “There is currently insufficient scientific evidence to support the use of psychedelics in the treatment of mental disorders, except within the scope of approved clinical research.” ”.
To make matters worse, harmful perceptions about these drugs are propagated by commercial industries that seek to prey on vulnerable populations. First it was so-called “medical cannabis,” but now this recycled narrative has been applied to psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and ecstasy.
To address these issues, policymakers must prioritize prevention education and promote understanding of the inherent risks associated with drug use, and public health officials must connect people with drug use and mental health disorders to treatment that addresses both conditions.
At a time when more than half of adults with substance use disorders also have a mental illness, and about one-quarter of adults with mental illness also have a substance use disorder, policymakers must recognize the interconnectedness of drug use and mental illness. We cannot address one problem without addressing the other. Our nation must renew our commitment to enabling more Americans to live lives free of drug use and mental disorders.
Dr. Kevin Sabet is a former three-time White House Drug Policy Advisor and Chairman of the Smart Approaches to Marijuana and Drug Policy Solutions Foundation.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, seeking common ground and finding connections.
