Variability in the longitudinal trajectories of substance use became even more pronounced when examining the moderating effects of gender on cannabis and alcohol use. A significantly greater proportion of men reported using alcohol and cannabis, and the proportion of males who reported using cannabis declined significantly compared to females post-hospitalization (see Table 3). Among women, patients with depressive disorders demonstrated the greatest decline in rates of alcohol use, whereas patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders showed the greatest decline in alcohol use among men (see Figure 1). A significantly greater decline in the proportion of men who reported using cannabis was observed in those with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders compared to those with depressive and bipolar disorders (see Figure 2). The proportion of females who reported using cannabis, however, was uniformly low across diagnoses and remained stable throughout the course of the study.
