Cannabis may up bipolar symptoms in teenagers

If usage of cannabis is frequent among your adolescent son or daughter, he or she may be at high risk of developing hypomania often experienced as part of bipolar disorder, a research has warned.

Hypomania is periods of elated mood, over-active and excited behaviour, and reduced need for sleep that are often experienced as part of bipolar disorder, and have a significant impact on day-to-day life.

"Cannabis use in young people is common and associated with psychiatric disorders. However, the prospective link between cannabis use and bipolar disorder symptoms has rarely been investigated," lead author Steven Marwaha, psychiatrist, at the University of Warwick in the UK.

"Adolescent cannabis use may be an independent risk factor for future hypomania, and the nature of the association suggests a potential causal link. As such it might be a useful target for indicated prevention of hypomania."

For the study, appearing in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin, the team included 3,370 participants who used marijuana at least two-three times in a week.

Conversely, the findings suggested that marijuana should be considered part of the prevention schemes aimed at minimising the risk of young people developing bipolar disorders It is because cannabis use was found to mediate the association of both childhood sexual abuse and hypomania, and male gender and hypomania. 

"As such it might be a useful target for indicated prevention of hypomania," Marwaha added.