Dataset Information

A longitudinal mediational investigation of risk pathways among cannabis use, interpersonal trauma exposure, and trauma-related distress.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

College students are at high risk for cannabis use, interpersonal trauma (IPT) exposure, and trauma-related distress (TRD). Two phenotypic etiologic models posited to explain associations between cannabis use and trauma-related phenotypes are the self-medication (trauma/TRD → cannabis use) and high-risk (cannabis use → trauma/TRD) hypotheses. The primary objective of the present study was to investigate direct and indirect associations among cannabis use, IPT exposure, and TRD above and beyond established covariates.

Method

The current study used data from the first assessment (i.e., baseline survey at Year 1 Fall) and two follow-up assessments (i.e., Year 1 Spring and Year 2 Spring) from an ongoing longitudinal study on college behavioral health. Participants were 4 cohorts of college students (n = 9,889) who completed measures of demographics, substance use, IPT, and TRD. Indirect effects of IPT on cannabis through TRD (i.e., self-medication) and cannabis on TRD through IPT (i.e., high-risk), including tests of covariate effects (e.g., gender, age, race, cohort, alcohol, nicotine), were simultaneously estimated using a longitudinal mediation modeling framework.

Results

Results suggest that more IPT exposure increases risk for TRD and subsequent nonexperimental (use 6+ times) cannabis use, and that experimental (use 1-5 times) and nonexperimental cannabis use increases risk for IPT exposure and subsequent TRD.

Conclusions

Both the self-medication and high-risk hypotheses were supported. Findings support a bidirectional causal relationship between cannabis use and trauma-related phenotypes. Additionally, results highlight areas for colleges to intervene among students to help reduce cannabis use and create a safer environment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

SUBMITTER: Hicks TA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9339011 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A longitudinal mediational investigation of risk pathways among cannabis use, interpersonal trauma exposure, and trauma-related distress.

Hicks Terrell A TA Bountress Kaitlin E KE Adkins Amy E AE Svikis Dace S DS Gillespie Nathan A NA Dick Danielle M DM Spit For Science Working Group Amstadter Ananda B AB

Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy 20220131 6

<h4>Objective</h4>College students are at high risk for cannabis use, interpersonal trauma (IPT) exposure, and trauma-related distress (TRD). Two phenotypic etiologic models posited to explain associations between cannabis use and trauma-related phenotypes are the self-medication (trauma/TRD → cannabis use) and high-risk (cannabis use → trauma/TRD) hypotheses. The primary objective of the present study was to investigate direct and indirect associations among cannabis use, IPT exposure, and TRD ...[more]

PMID: 35099217

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe aim of this study was to systematically summarize knowledge on the association between exposure to interpersonal trauma and addictive behaviors. Extant reviews on this association focused on a restricted range of substance-related addictions, and/or used a narrative instead of a systematic approach.MethodsSystematic searches of 8 databases yielded 29,841 studies, of which 3054 studies were included and subsequently classified in relation to study design (scoping review). A subset of observational studies (N = 181) prospectively investigating the relationship between exposure to interpersonal traumata and subsequent behavioral or substance-related addiction problems were characterized. Heterogeneity in study methodologies and types of addictive behaviors and traumatic experiences assessed precluded meta-analysis. Instead, the proportions of associations tested in this literature that revealed positive, negative, or null relationships between trauma exposure and subsequent addictive behaviors were recorded, along with other methodological features.ResultsOf 3054 included studies, 70.7% (n = 2160) used a cross-sectional design. In the 181 prospective observational studies (407,041 participants, 98.8% recruited from developed countries), 35.1% of the tested associations between trauma exposure and later addictive behaviors was positive, 1.3% was negative, and 63.6% was non-significant. These results were primarily obtained among non-treatment seeking samples (80.7% of studies; n = 146), using single and multi-item measures of addictive behaviors of unknown psychometric quality (46.4% of studies). Positive associations were more frequently observed in studies examining childhood versus adult traumatization (39.7% vs. 29.7%).ConclusionsLongitudinal research in this area emphasizes alcohol abuse, and almost no research has examined behavioral addictions. Results provide some support for a positive association between exposure to interpersonal trauma and subsequent addictive behaviors but this relationship was not consistently reported. Longitudinal studies typically assessed trauma exposure retrospectively, often after addictive behavior onset, thus precluding robust inferences about whether traumatization affects initial onset of addictive behaviors.

Project description:Background and objectivesAnxiety sensitivity, or fear of anxious arousal, may be an important risk factor for problematic cannabis use. Specifically, anxiety sensitivity may motivate cannabis use to cope with distress, particularly among trauma-exposed individuals. The current study tested associations among anxiety sensitivity, its subdomains, and cannabis use motives in a sample of trauma-exposed cannabis users. We hypothesized elevated anxiety sensitivity, particularly cognitive concerns, would be associated with increased maladaptive coping use motives, after covarying for the number of traumas and cannabis use quantity.MethodHypotheses were tested in a cross-sectional study of trauma-exposed young adult cannabis users (N = 56) (Mage = 20.7 years, 59% women, 73% white). Participants completed self-report measures, and a clinical interview assessing cannabis use quantity.ResultsMultiple regression analyses indicated that elevated anxiety sensitivity was associated with increased cannabis use coping motives, after covarying for the number of traumas experienced and cannabis use quantity. Specifically, higher levels of anxiety sensitivity cognitive and social concerns were associated with coping motives for cannabis use.Discussion and conclusionsAnxiety sensitivity, particularly concerns about cognitive dyscontrol and negative social evaluations of anxious arousal, may motivate cannabis use to cope with stress among trauma-exposed cannabis users. Future research should include prospective studies with diverse samples to replicate results and determine whether intervening on anxiety sensitivity could reduce maladaptive coping motives for cannabis use.Scientific significanceThe current study replicates prior research indicating anxiety sensitivity, particularly cognitive concerns, is associated with maladaptive cannabis use. Expanding on prior research, findings indicated anxiety sensitivity is associated with coping motives for cannabis use among trauma-exposed cannabis users.

Project description:Introduction: Genetic factors impact alcohol consumption and use disorder (AUD), with large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identifying numerous associated variants. Aggregate genetic methods in combination with important environmental factors (e.g., interpersonal trauma [IPT]) can be applied to expand our understanding of the ways by which genetic and environmental variables work together to influence alcohol consumption and disordered use. The present study aimed to detail the relationships between genome-wide polygenic scores (PGS) for alcohol phenotypes (i.e., alcohol consumption and AUD status) and IPT exposure as well as the interaction between them across ancestry. Methods: Data were drawn from the Spit for Science (S4S) study, a US college student population, where participants reported on IPT exposure prior to college and alcohol consumption and problems during college (N = 9,006; ancestry: 21.3% African [AFR], 12.5% Admixed Americas [AMR], 9.6% East Asian [EAS], 48.1% European [EUR], 8.6% South Asian [SAS]). Two trans-ancestry PGS were constructed, one for alcohol consumption and another for AUD, using large-scale GWAS summary statistics from multiple ancestries weighted using PRS-CSx. Regression models were applied to test for the presence of associations between alcohol-PGS and IPT main and interaction effects. Results: In the meta-analysis across ancestry groups, IPT exposure and PGS were significantly associated with alcohol consumption (βIPT = 0.31, P IPT = 0.0002; βPGS = 0.09, P PGS = 0.004) and AUD (ORIPT = 1.12, P IPT = 3.5 × 10-8; ORPGS = 1.02, P PGS = 0.002). No statistically significant interactions were detected between IPT and sex nor between IPT and PGS. When inspecting ancestry specific results, the alcohol consumption-PGS and AUD-PGS were only statistically significant in the EUR ancestry group (βPGS = 0.09, P PGS = 0.04; ORPGS = 1.02, P PGS = 0.022, respectively). Discussion: IPT exposure prior to college was strongly associated with alcohol outcomes in this college-age sample, which could be used as a preventative measure to identify students at high risk for problematic alcohol use. Additionally, results add to developing evidence of polygenic score association in meta-analyzed samples, highlighting the importance of continued efforts to increase ancestral representation in genetic studies and inclusive analytic approaches to increase the generalizability of results from genetic association studies.

Project description:Background and aimsFew studies have explored how polygenic propensity to cannabis use unfolds across development, and no studies have yet examined this question in the context of environmental contributions such as peer cannabis use. Outlining the factors that contribute to progression from cannabis initiation to problem use over time may ultimately provide insights into mechanisms for targeted interventions. We sought to examine the relationships between polygenic liability for cannabis use, cannabis use trajectories from ages 12-30 years and perceived peer cannabis use at ages 12-17 years.DesignMixed-effect logistic and linear regressions were used to examine associations between polygenic risk scores, cannabis use trajectory membership and perceived peer cannabis use.SettingUnited States.ParticipantsFrom the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) study, a cohort of 1167 individuals aged 12-26 years at their baseline (i.e. first) interview.MeasurementsKey measurements included life-time cannabis use (yes/no), frequency of past 12-month cannabis use, maximum life-time frequency of cannabis use, cannabis use disorder (using DSM-5 criteria) and perceived peer cannabis use. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) were created using summary statistics from a large (n = 162 082) genome-wide association study (GWAS) of cannabis use.FindingsThree trajectories reflecting no/low (n = 844), moderate (n = 137) and high (n = 186) use were identified. PRS were significantly associated with trajectory membership [P = 0.002-0.006, maximum conditional R2 = 1.4%, odds ratios (ORs) = 1.40-1.49]. Individuals who reported that most/all of their best friends used cannabis had significantly higher PRS than those who reported that none of their friends were users [OR = 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04, 1.75, P = 0.023]. Perceived peer use itself explained up to 11.3% of the variance in trajectory class membership (OR = 1.50-4.65). When peer cannabis use and the cannabis use PRS were entered into the model simultaneously, both the PRS and peer use continued to be significantly associated with class membership (P < 0.01).ConclusionsGenetic propensity to cannabis use derived from heterogeneous samples appears to correlate with longitudinal increases in cannabis use frequency in young adults.

Dataset Information

A longitudinal mediational investigation of risk pathways among cannabis use, interpersonal trauma exposure, and trauma-related distress.

Objective

Method

Results

Conclusions

Publications

A longitudinal mediational investigation of risk pathways among cannabis use, interpersonal trauma exposure, and trauma-related distress.

Similar Datasets

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