Half of Gen Z who have been diagnosed with depression consume cannabis, according to a report released last week from precision psychiatry company NeuroKaire. Another 48% of Millennials, 41% of Gen X, and 22% of Boomers with a depression diagnosis surveyed also indicated either “regular” or “occasional” cannabis use.
Depressed individuals also used CBD products at higher rates that their non-depressed peers, with 59% more Gen Z with a depression diagnosis using CBD products (70% of depressed individuals compared to 44% of the full generation), along with 29% more Millennials (62% depressed, 48% full generation), 36% more Gen X (53% depressed, 42% full generation), and 69% more Boomers (44% depressed, 26% full generation). Seventy percent of depressed Gen Z indicated they were using CBD products specifically for mental wellness.
“Among Boomers with depression, regular marijuana use runs at about 12%, which seems low compared to Gen Z and Millennials, but that’s 71% more than their non-depressed Boomer peers (7%). This is the highest relative gap of any generation.” — NeuroKaire, “Self-Medication Generation”
In the report, NeuroKaire concludes that the cannabis survey data “reveals a population that is actively self-treating with plant-based substances and doing so with increasing intentionality.”
“The prevalence of marijuana use (which may serve multiple purposes) and CBD use specifically for mental wellness suggests that Americans with depression are not just using these substances recreationally,” the report states. “They are building treatment regimens outside of the clinical system.”
The report is based on a national survey of 18,341 U.S. adults fielded by Prosper Insights & Analytics and analyzed by NeuroKaire. Of that group, 3,737 reported having been diagnosed with depression.
