Table 3.

Comparability of items from the V‐HYS and NESARC‐III data sets.

Victoria Healthy Youth Survey (V‐HYS)			National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol And Related Conditions (NESARC‐III)
Measure	Item descriptions	Notes	Measure	Item descriptions	Notes
Cannabis use frequency
	• How often did you use marijuana in the past 12 months?	• 1 item • 0 (never) to 4 (more than once a week)		• How often used marijuana in the past 12 months?	• 1 item • 0 (never) to 4 (more than once a week)
Cannabis use disorder
• Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI; 26)	• Needed to use more to get the same effect • Experience withdrawal symptoms • Taking more than anticipated • Inability to reduce use or stop • Significant time spent in activities to obtain, use or recover from cannabis • Spend less time working, enjoying hobbies, or being with family or friends due to use • Continued use despite health or mental problems • High or intoxicated when had other responsibilities at school, work, or at home • High or intoxicated in any situation where physically at risk • Continued use despite interpersonal problems	• 9 items • 0 (no) or 1 (yes) • ≥ 2 endorsed criteria (i.e. symptoms) = cannabis use disorder 24	• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM‐5) criteria for past‐year cannabis use disorder 24	• Needed increased amounts to achieve desired effect or diminished effect with continued use of same amount • Experience withdrawal symptoms • Taken in larger amounts or longer than intended • Unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control use • Significant time spent in activities to obtain, use or recover from cannabis • Reduced social, occupational or recreational activities due to use • Continued use despite physical or psychological problem • Failure to fulfill major life role obligations (e.g. work, school or home) • Use when in situations that are physically hazardous • Continued use despite persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems • Strong urge or desire to use (craving)	• 0 (no) or 1 (yes) • ≥ 2 endorsed criteria (i.e. symptoms) = past‐year cannabis use disorder 24
Psychotic symptoms
• Symptoms Checklist 90‐Revised (SCL‐90‐R; 27)	• Someone else can control your thoughts • Others are to blame for your troubles • Hearing voices • Other people being aware of your thoughts • Feeling that you are watched or talked about • Having thoughts that are not your own • Have ideas or beliefs that others do not share • Think something serious is wrong with your body • Never feeling close to another person • Belief something is wrong with your mind	• 10 items • 0 (no) or 1 (yes) • Range: 0–10 • α = 0.75–0.82	• Items tapping unusual feelings and actions (NESARC‐III; 25)	• Things that have no special meaning are really meant to give you a message • Difficulty trusting others • Think objects or shadows are really people or animals, or that noises are actually people's voices • Felt that you are being watched/stared at • Possess a ‘sixth sense’ that allows you to know and predict things • Strange ideas • Felt outside your body when under stress • Have few people that you're really close to • People have thought you have strange ideas	• 9 items • 0 (no) or 1 (yes) • Range: 0–9 • α = 0.76
Depressive symptoms
• Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI; 28)	• Feel hopeless? • Get no pleasure from your usual activities? • Have trouble enjoying yourself? • Have no interest in your usual activities? • Are unhappy, sad, or depressed? • Are not as happy as people your age?	• 6 items • 0 (never) to 2 (often) • Range: 0–12 • α = 0.80–0.86	• DSM‐5 criteria for major depressive episode 24	• Feeling sad, hopeless, depressed or down? • You didn't care about things? • Weight loss/gain or changes in appetite (4 items) • Insomnia or hypersomnia (3 items) • Psychomotor agitation or retardation (6 items) • Fatigue or loss of energy (2 items) • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt (3 items) • Diminished ability to concentrate (4 items) • Suicidal ideation, attempt or plan (4 items)	• 9 criteriaa,b • 0 (no) or 1 (yes) • Range: 0–9 • α = 0.93
Anxiety symptoms
• Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI; 28)	• Worry about your past behavior? • Worry about doing the wrong thing? • Worry about doing better at things? • Are overly anxious to please people? • Are afraid of making mistakes? • Worry about things in the future?	• 6 items • 0 (never) to 2 (often) • Range: 0–12 • α = 0.75–0.82	• DSM‐5 criteria for generalized anxiety disorder 24	• Feeling restless or keyed up (2 items) • Fatigue (1 item) • Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank (2 items) • Irritability (1 item) • Muscle tension or aches (1 item) • Sleep disturbances (2 items)	• 6 criteriaa,b • 0 (no) or 1 (yes) • Range: 0–6 • α = 0.95

Descriptions of items are provided. Please refer to the original reference or NESARC‐III codebooks 25 for exact item wording.

Participants were first asked if they had ever experienced a 2‐week period of depressive symptoms (e.g. felt sad, hopeless, depressed or down nearly every day) when assessing depression and a 3‐month period of excessive worry or anxiety when assessing anxiety. If yes, participants responded to items in reference to their worst period of worry or anxiety. For both depression and anxiety, if participants did not report ‘yes’ to the screening question(s), they were categorized as never or unknown if ever had a period of low mood/when they did not care (across all depression and anxiety screening questions; 0.2–0.5% were unknown).

When more than one item tapped a specific criterion (e.g. three items for insomnia or hypersomnia criteria), a participant was given a score of 1 if any of the items were endorsed.