The natural course of cannabis use, abuse and dependence during the first decades of life.

Aims: There has been little available information on the long-term natural course, persistence and remission of cannabis use, abuse and dependence. The current study estimated rates and risk factors associated with stability and variation in cannabis use patterns, cannabis abuse and cannabis dependence in a community sample over a 10-year period.

Design, Setting And Participants: Prospective longitudinal, epidemiological study with a 4- and 10-year follow-up of a community sample (n = 3021) aged 14-24 years at baseline in Munich, Germany.

Social anxiety disorder above and below the diagnostic threshold: prevalence, comorbidity and impairment in the general population.

Background: There is a lack of data systematically describing subthreshold expressions of social anxiety disorder (SAD) with regard to prevalence, comorbidity, and impairment.

Methods: This analysis was based on data from the German Health Survey (GHS) and its Mental Health Supplement (GHS-MHS). Social anxiety disorder and its syndromes as well as other mental disorders were assessed with a standardized diagnostic interview (M-CIDI) in 4,174 adults.