What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Mental Health, Addiction.

Where was this research published?

Published in Addictive behaviors reports on July 17, 2026.

Mental Health Addiction

Substance use and mental health risks among Korean LGBTQ+ men

Q: What did this research study find?

**17.7%** of participants reported lifetime use of substances including *cannabis*, methamphetamine, and ketamine.

Substance use and mental health outcomes among gay and bisexual men in South Korea: a cross-sectional study.

Addictive behaviors reports • July 17, 2026 • Related

🤖

AI Summary

This nationwide cross-sectional study examined substance use and mental health among 1,407 gay and bisexual men in South Korea, aged 19–34. Participants reported whether they had ever used substances including methamphetamine, ketamine, and cannabis, and completed measures of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and use of psychiatric services. 17.7% reported lifetime substance use.

Substance use was associated with higher risks of suicidality and psychiatric service utilization. Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot show that substance use caused these mental health outcomes, and the abstract does not provide cannabis-specific results. For cannabis users and healthcare providers, the findings support taking mental health concerns seriously and developing integrated services that address substance use and mental health together, particularly for gay and bisexual men facing possible barriers to care.

💡 Key Findings

17.7% of participants reported lifetime use of substances including cannabis, methamphetamine, and ketamine.

High

80%

Substance use was significantly associated with increased risks of suicidality among gay and bisexual men in South Korea.

Good

75%

Substance use was also significantly associated with psychiatric service utilization.

Good

75%

The findings support integrated interventions addressing both substance use and mental health in this population.

High

80%

Because this was a cross-sectional study, the reported associations do not establish causation, and the abstract does not separate cannabis-specific effects from other substances.

High

90%

📄 Original Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of substance use among gay and bisexual men in South Korea and examined its association with mental health outcomes. Data were drawn from a nationwide cross-sectional survey of 1407 Korean gay and bisexual men aged 19-34 conducted in 2021. Participants completed measures assessing lifetime substance use (e.g., methamphetamine, ketamine, and cannabis) and mental health outcomes including depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and psychiatric service utilization. Multivariate regression analyses examined associations between substance use and mental health outcomes. Among participants, 17.7% reported lifetime substance use. Substance use was significantly associated with increased risks of suicidality and psychiatric service utilization. This study found significant associations between substance use and adverse mental health outcomes among Korean gay and bisexual men. These findings highlight the urgent need for integrated interventions addressing both substance use and mental health in this population.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Addictive behaviors reports
Published: July 17, 2026
PMID: 42494974
DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2026.100728

Authors (4)

Seong-Jo Jeong Department of Sociology, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Bomi Kim Department of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.
Heeyoung Lee Department of Sociology, The State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA.
Hyemin Lee Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.